Norwegian journalist in Libya released

“I am pleased that the Norwegian journalist Ammar al-Hamdan is now safely out of Libya, and I would like to thank all those who have helped to make this possible,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Ammar al-Hamdan, who was on assignment in Libya for the television channel Al Jazeera, was arrested together with three colleagues by Libyan security forces on Monday 7 March. He was imprisoned in Tripoli until his release today.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was notified of Mr al-Hamdan’s arrest on Thursday 10 March and has been seeking to secure his release since then.

“The Foreign Ministry has taken this matter very seriously. In our efforts to find a solution, we have made use of a number of different channels, and I am pleased that this has borne fruit. We have also had close, constructive cooperation with Al Jazeera and Mr al-Hamdan’s family in Norway,” said Mr Støre.

“Mr. al-Hamdan’s case demonstrates the vulnerability of journalists who are covering armed conflict. It is worrying that journalists are facing increasingly greater obstacles when working in conflict areas,” said Mr Støre. “Norway will continue to raise this issue in various international forums, including the UN Human Rights Council.”