Beirut, March 29: Two Reuters journalists were released by Syrian authorities Monday, two days after they were detained in Damascus.
Television producer Ayat Basma and cameraman Ezzat Baltaji returned to their home base in Lebanon and said they were well.
“Reuters is concerned that its journalists were detained and held incommunicado for so long. We are delighted by their release and look forward to welcoming Ayat and Ezzat back,” said Reuters editor-in-chief Stephen Adler.
“We would like to thank everyone who helped us resolve the issue.”
Basma and Baltaji, both Beirut-based Lebanese nationals, traveled to Syria Thursday.
A Syrian official said the journalists were detained and questioned because they did not have a permit to work in Syria and had filmed “in an area where filming is not permitted.”
They had last contacted colleagues on Saturday evening and their whereabouts had been unclear until shortly before they were released Monday.
Basma, who has also reported from Tunisia, Egypt and Iraq, has been with Reuters since February 2007. Baltaji has worked for the company since April 2008.
——–Agencies