UK reporters probed over spying in Libya

Two British journalists working for Iran’s Press TV, who were detained late last month in Libya, are suspected of being spies, the head of the militia which is holding them said.

Monday, March 05, 2012
Faraj Swehli, commander of Swehli militia, said his men found official documents with the journalists. Net photo

Two British journalists working for Iran’s Press TV, who were detained late last month in Libya, are suspected of being spies, the head of the militia which is holding them said.Faraj al-Swehli, commander of the Swehli brigade, said on Sunday his men had found among the journalists’ possessions official Libyan documents, equipment used by the Israeli military and footage of them firing weapons.He said it was believed the men were spies but it was too early to say what country they were spying for."Their movements were suspicious and because of that we decided to watch and follow them,” al-Swehli said at a news conference in Tripoli."We will give them to the intelligence service who will pursue the legal process against them,” he added.The two journalists have been named as Nicholas Davies and Gareth Montgomery-Johnson. They were arrested on February 22 in Misrata, about 200 kilometres east of the capital. They are now being held in a Swehli brigade base in central Tripoli.Al-Swehli said the two did not have Libyan entry visas in their passports.