The Crown Prosecution Service has acknowledged its error in pursuing a case against a news photographer who was arrested while trying to capture images at a crime scene.
Judge Walters criticized the prosecution of Dimitris Legakis, stating that the main issue seemed to be a police officer taking offense at a photographer simply doing his job.
Legakis was at the scene of a car fire in Swansea, unaware of the violent incident that had occurred. He was unjustly targeted by the police, arrested forcefully, and detained for 15 hours.
Despite the trial being scheduled to begin, the case was dropped last minute due to lack of evidence.
The CPS admitted their mistake, stating that the prosecution should have been halted sooner. South Wales police also acknowledged the decision.
Legakis, a photographer for Athena Picture Agency and the Guardian, expressed the emotional toll the ordeal had on him, highlighting the violation of his freedom of expression.
Guidelines emphasize the media’s right to report from public places, emphasizing that police should not interfere with filming or photography at incidents.
2024-04-09 06:42:53
Source from www.theguardian.com