Journalist For Canada's CTV Designated Enemy Combatant By U.S. Military
 Thursday, February 28th, 2008

 
Left: CTV journalist "Jojo" Jawed Ahmad, via Canadian Press
Right:  AP photographer Bilal Hussein, via FreeBilal.org

Jawed Ahmad is 22 years old.  He also goes by the nickname of Jojo Yazemi, and at his young age is employed by Canada's CTV television network.  At least he was--Jawed was arrested by the U.S. military in October 2007.  According to his brother Siddique Ahmad, as reported by the U.S.-based Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ), "Jojo" got a phone call that his CTV colleagues wanted to meet with him at Kandahar airport.  Except, no one from CTV recalled calling him to meet that day.  Instead of his coworkers, Ahmad showed up to find U.S. forces waiting for him, where they arrested him at the Afghanistan airbase.

When Jojo's brother contacted CPJ, he said that the U.S. military believed JoJo had contacts with local Taliban leaders and was in possession of a video of Taliban materials.  CPJ then contacted the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan, and received confirmation that Ahmad was being held, but further information was not available.

On February 22nd, CPJ was contacted by a Pentagon spokesman via letter, which stated that Jojo was designated an "unlawful enemy combatant" but did not disclose further details.

Today, four months later, Major Chris Belcher, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition, announced that Jojo was granted the opportunity to speak before an enemy combatant review board, and that it was determined he should remain detained as he "posed a threat to coalition forces and the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan."

"Mr. Ahmad was in no way targeted because of his work as a journalist," Maj. Belcher added.

According to the Toronto Star, Robert Hurst - the president of CTV News - released a statement, saying, "CTV news continues to be deeply concerned about Jojo Yazemi's well being and we are continuing to work all diplomatic channels available to find out additional information and get Jojo his due process."

"All of the local press corps have numbers of the Taliban and interview them regularly," New York Times correspondent Carlotta Gall, who knows Jawed "JoJo" and his brother, told CPJ.  "Jawed had nothing more than the others in the way of contacts with the Taliban."

No charges have yet been brought forth against Jawed Ahmad, who is still being held in Bagram north of Kabul.

Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, whom we reported on in October, is also being held by U.S. military without charge(s); he has been sitting in a jail cell for almost two years now under the explanation that he poses "a security threat," with no further details having been provided.

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