A well-known German journalist was detained by armed men in Beirut and held for several hours shortly after the slaying of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah on Sept. 27, his newspaper reported Wednesday. He was released without further explanation.
Paul Ronzheimer, a prominent war correspondent for the Bild newspaper, was arrested with members of his team on Sept. 28, a day after Israel dropped dozens of bunker-busting bombs on a Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, killing Nasrallah and other top commanders, Bild reported.
Ronzheimer was handcuffed and blindfolded by men who according to Bild may have been employees of the Lebanese military intelligence service, or identified as such. The German embassy in Beirut intervened on his behalf and he was released, according to the German newspaper.
Ronzheimer, who has covered the current conflict involving Israel in several countries, resumed his reporting after his release.
“Regardless of the incident in which we were arrested, interrogated and also spent time in prison, it’s currently incredibly difficult for many reporters to report from the places that are really important,” the Bild quoted Ronzheimer as saying.
The paper had refrained from reporting about Ronzheimer’s arrest out of consideration for his safety.
Ronzheimer, 39, is a household name in Germany, and has covered the war between Ukraine-Russia extensively, as well as internal politics.
