President Chirac asked to raise press freedom during visit

Reporters Without Borders wrote to French President Jacques Chirac today reminding him of the extremely grave press freedom violations in Libya and asking him to raise them with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during an official visit to Tripoli on 24 November. "Press freedom is still virtually non-existent in Libya despite the regime's efforts to acquire a new, improved image as regards human rights," the letter said. "The print and broadcast media have been under the regime's tutelage for years, no criticism of the president is tolerated and all journalists practice self-censorship. If foreign reporters manage to get one of the few press visas to go there, they are closely monitored." The letter added: "Press freedom is an essential condition for political modernization and democratization in Libya. You conditioned your visit to Libya on the payment of compensation to the families of the French victims of the bombing of a UTA DC-10 and the German victims of the bombing of a bar in Berlin, but Libya's international rehabilitation should also be linked to respect for free expression and human rights." Reporters Without Borders said the Libyan regime holds the record for the longest imprisonment of a journalist - Abdullah Ali al-Sanussi al-Darrat, who has been detained without trial since 1973. His place of detention and state of health are unknown. The organization urged President Chirac to ask what has happened to Al-Darrat as well as raise all the other press freedom issues.