Campaigners call for reporter's release

Amardeep Bassey says he is in good health

A French-based organisation which campaigns for journalists rights has called for the release of a Midlands reporter who is being held in Pakistan.

Amardeep Bassey, 29, from Wolverhampton, is being held in Landi Kotal prison near Peshawar in north-western Pakistan.

He was arrested on Friday for failing to have an exit visa when crossing into the country from a Foreign Office trip to visit British peacekeeping troops in Afghanistan.

Mr Bassey, who works for the Birmingham-based Sunday Mercury newspaper, originally faced allegations of spying but they were later dropped.

'Grotesque accusations'

On Thursday, Paris based Reporters sans frontiers (RSF) - Reporters without borders - called for the immediate release of Mr Bassey and accused the Pakistani authorities of "discriminating" against journalists of Indian origin.

Robert Menard, secretary general of the RSF, said: "Once again, a reporter of Indian origin has been arrested by the Pakistani security services on a ridiculous pretext.

"The accusations of spying were grotesque, and indicate discrimination against journalists of Indian origin."

RSF campaigns for press freedom and works to release journalists who have been jailed abroad.

On Wednesday, a journalist who visited Mr Bassey said that he was being held in a lock-up with 56 other temporary prisoners at an army base in Landi Kotal.

The journalist said that Mr Bassey had received food and fresh clothes from the friends and family of two guides he was travelling with at the time of his arrest.

"He is allowed daily exercise in a heavily-guarded enclosed area.

"He has been given blankets and sleeps on the floor at night," he added.