Alhurra tv correspondent in spain assaulted by polisario separatists

By Madison on mar 08, 2010

Granada – The correspondent of the American channel « Alhurra » in Spain was assaulted on Sunday in Granada by Polisario separatists, who had taken him for a Moroccan.

    Mauritanian journalist, Mohamed Lamine Khattari was attacked while he was covering a pro-Polisario demonstration in the southern Spanish city of Granada which hosted the first EU-Morocco Summit.

    The Mauritanian journalist, who was accompanied by Spanish cameraman Enrique Minano, tried to convince his attackers that he was not Moroccan by speaking the Hassani dialect, which is spoken in the Sahara.

    In doing so, he fanned the resentment of his assailants, who under a hail of insults, accused him of being a « renegade » and an “agent mandated by Morocco to spy on them.”

    The Mauritanian journalist was rescued by the Spanish police who intervened and managed to take him from the angry crowd.

    The Mauritanian journalist told the Moroccan News Agency that he will sue the attackers for assault.

source: map