Pro-Palestine British reporter gets arrested in Austria

(MENAFN) Richard Medhurst, an independent British journalist known for his pro-Palestinian views, was detained in Austria last week on suspicion of having ties to a terrorist organization. Medhurst, who has previously been apprehended by UK authorities, shared a video on his X account detailing the events. He claimed that Austrian authorities had summoned him for an interview under false pretenses and then informed him that his residency might be revoked due to his reporting on Gaza and Lebanon.

Medhurst described being ambushed by plainclothes agents, who claimed to be the Austrian equivalent of MI5 or the FBI. He was detained, his apartment and studio were searched, and all his electronic devices were confiscated. Authorities accused him of being a member of Hamas and of spreading propaganda and encouraging terrorism. He was fingerprinted, photographed, and had his DNA taken before being released after six or seven hours.

Medhurst speculated that his detention in Austria might be linked to his previous encounter with UK authorities in August, where he was held for over 24 hours at Heathrow Airport for allegedly supporting a proscribed organization under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000. He denied all accusations, insisting he was a journalist, not a terrorist, and condemned the actions of both the British and Austrian authorities as an attack on free speech.

In response to his detentions, organizations like the International Federation of Journalists and the UK's National Union of Journalists have criticized the moves as an attempt to suppress press freedom.

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