German journalist Paul Ronzheimer was arrested in Beirut at the end of September. The war reporter and deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper ‘Bild’ made this public after his safe departure from Lebanon. The details of his arrest are shocking.
The incident took place on September 28, the day after Israel killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, the Bild tabloid reported on Wednesday. For security reasons, the incident was only made public after the war reporter had left the country.
Handcuffed and blindfolded
Unknown men took deputy editor-in-chief of ‘Bild’ Ronzheimer and his team from the hotel room to an unknown location and subjected the journalists to interrogation. They were handcuffed and blindfolded.
The German embassy had to intervene
According to “Bild”, the men are said to be employees of the Lebanese military intelligence service. Ronzheimer was released late in the evening. The German embassy in Beirut intervened and, thanks to the cooperation of the Lebanese authorities, a quick release was achieved.
Accreditation as a trigger
Lebanese security circles said Ronzheimer did not have the required accreditation from the Ministry of Information. A spokesperson for ‘Bild’ contradicted this: an accreditation had been submitted correctly. “Permission was granted by Hezbollah to operate in an area controlled by Hezbollah. During multiple interviews by the Lebanese security authorities, Paul Ronzheimer was never confronted with a lack of accreditation.”
The direct connection with Israel was a thorn in the side of Hezbollah
The “Bild” report also stated: “On the eve of the arrest, shortly after the airstrike on Nasrallah, Ronzheimer was posted as a correspondent in several countries, including Israel. The Israeli media are officially not allowed to report in Lebanon.” In particular, no official permits are granted for live broadcasts to Israel. The two countries also do not maintain diplomatic relations.
According to the article, Ronzheimer continued to report on the fighting from Beirut even after his release. After about a week he finally left. However, Ronzheimer explained that his options were limited due to the pro-Iranian Shia militia Hezbollah: “Regardless of the fact that we were arrested and interrogated there and also in prison, it is currently incredibly difficult for many reporters to report to the places where that is really what matters.”
Hezbollah hardly issues permits to journalists anymore. Nevertheless, Ronzheimer emphasized, “Of course I will continue to report on this war.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
