Kaveh Golestan, a cameraman working for the BBC in northern Iraq,
has been killed after stepping on a landmine.
Producer Stuart Hughes was also injured in
the explosion, but BBC correspondent Jim Muir and a local
translator escaped unhurt.
The incident happened when the four men
were driving near the town of Kifri.
Mr Golestan was a Pulitzer-prize winning
freelance cameraman who worked for the BBC's Tehran
bureau.
"Kaveh Golestan was an outstanding
photojournalist who had worked in support of freedom of expression
in his native Iran and elsewhere and was well known to many western
news organizations. He had worked with the BBC for many
years," said the BBC director of news Richard
Sambrook.
The Iranian deputy culture minister, Seyed
Mohammad Sohofi, also paid tribute to Golestan describing him as
a "famous photographer and cameraman as well as a
world-known artist".
The head of the Eurovision News Services,
Tony Naets, sent the following message to Richard Sambrook on
behalf of the EBU:
Dear Richard, It is with great sadness that my colleagues
and I have learned of the death of Kaveh Golestan in northern
Iraq. We would like to offer his wife and son our sincerest
condolences at this very painful moment. Our thoughts are with them and with Kaveh’s
colleagues and friends. We pray for the recovery of Stuart
Hughes. At this very difficult time, we are
reminded again of the tremendous contributions -- and sometimes
sacrifices -- the reporters, producers, camera crews, engineers and
assistants now in the region make to ensure that the public is
fully informed. They are the true defenders of democratic
societies. Sincerely, Tony Naets
Head, Eurovision News Services |
