Qatar officials interrupt another TV crew - ordering reporter to stop interviewing wheelchair user at World Cup
25 November 2022, 11:14 | Updated: 25 November 2022, 12:11
Over-zealous Qatari officials have been accused of censorship again after they interrupted a live TV broadcast where a journalist was interviewing a wheelchair user.
Argentinian journalist Joaquin Alvarez was told to stop an interview and show his credentials while interviewing the football fan.
An official ordered Mr Alvarez to show his press pass and told the cameraman to point the camera elsewhere.
It is the second incident of journalists being threatened to stop filming.
It comes after a Danish film crew were threatened by security on air.
Qatari official interrupts Argentinian live broadcast
Mr Alvarez was joking with Argentine fans when he was interrupted by the official and two other men who appeared seconds later.
The fan in the wheelchair had admitted he was “sad” about Argentina’s shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in their first match, before they were interrupted.
It appears the officials did not back down and he was ordered away from the area and later resumed filming from the back of a car.
He said he was told he had been filming in a “private” area.
He said: “I was frightened and thought they were going to take me prisoner.
“The person who stopped the filming got out of a van and told us in a very rude way we couldn't film any more because we were in a private place.
“I told him we were showing something nice but they told us we had to go and there was a moment when they even wanted to take our equipment off us.”
He posted on Twitter: “We had a bad experience and what happened was totally unfair because we had all our permits and everything in order.
“It's in the past now, another anecdote. The most important thing for me is that Argentina is playing again on Saturday.”
In the incident involving the Danish film crew, Qatari officials eventually apologised.
A journalist from Danish broadcaster TV2 was threatened by security staff while live on air. TV2 reporter Rasmus Tantholdt was speaking as part of a live broadcast when he was approached by security staff who threatened to smash his camera.
