KUWAIT: Editor murdered by police officer, government source says

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March 21, 2001: Editor murderered

New York, March 22, 2001 --- A police officer suspected of murdering Kuwaiti editor Hidaya Sultan al-Salem on Tuesday, March 20, confessed that he carried out the killing because he was angered by one of her articles, according to international press reports.

An unnamed Interior Ministry official told The Associated Press that Lt. Col Khaled al-Azmi, who was arrested on Wednesday, had admitted to killing al-Salem because the journalist had allegedly insulted his tribe in an article. Quoting police officials, meanwhile, the BBC reported that al-Azmi had killed al-Salem "because of an article she published on girls from his tribe, the Al-Awazem."

In a letter sent yesterday to Kuwaiti ruler Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah, CPJ expressed alarm about the murder of al-Salem, owner and editor of the weekly magazine Al-Majales, urging a thorough and transparent investigation into the crime and asking the Emir to see to it that those responsible are brought to justice.

Al-Salem, a 66-year-old veteran journalist, was killed Tuesday morning on her way to work when an armed assailant opened fire on her chauffer-driven car in Kuwait City. The assailant, who was described as wearing a traditional long robe, reportedly got out of a four-wheel drive car and fired several rounds into al-Salem's car while it was stopped in traffic. She died shortly thereafter.

According to press reports, local authorities detained four people for questioning in connection with al-Salem's death. There has been considerable media speculation about the reasons for the assassination, including alleged financial disputes within al-Salem's family and other alleged disputes with some of her employees. In the latest edition of Al-Majales, according to press reports, al-Salem published an open letter claiming she had been harassed by the police.

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