28 November 2012
Colombian journalist dies after arrest by police
Beating
A Colombian journalist, Guillermo Quiroz Delgado, died in a hospital after suffering head injuries while in police custody.
Police claim that he sustained the injuries after falling from a police vehicle. But his family and colleagues believe he was beaten and thrown from the truck.
According to media reports in the northern Colombian city of Sincelejo, Delgado travelled some 50 kms to the town of San Pedro to cover protests against an energy company, Pacific Rubiales, which has been accused of exploiting the area's residents.
Delgado, who was on assignment for the news outlet Notisabanas, was detained while photographing the protest. Police officials were quoted as saying that Delgado had attempted to assault an officer.
The journalist's brother-in-law said Delgado was initially conscious in hospital and said that the police had beaten him and thrown him from their truck after confiscating his motorcycle.
The International Press Institute (IPI) called for a full investigation. Two other journalists have been killed in Colombia in 2012. Both killings remain unsolved.
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Source: The Guardian
