The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) issued a warning on Wednesday via the Council of Europe's platform to protect journalists following the arrest of a journalist in Brussels.
The Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police detained freelance journalist Thomas Haulotte last Tuesday night during a civil disobedience demonstration. He was following a group of activists who wanted to put up posters near the European institutions. Despite presenting his press card, police classified him as part of the activist group and arrested him.
Haulotte and the French-speaking Association of Professional Journalists (AJP) dispute the police's account. The AJP announced plans to involve the Permanent Oversight Committee on the Police Services (Comité P) and file a complaint on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the EFJ alerted the Council of Europe (C0E) – an international organisation upholding human rights and the rule of law – including press freedom under Article 10.
The CoE's Secretary General will notify the ambassadors of the 47 Member States and request official explanations from the implicated state.
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