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EDAN: Hundreds of journalists rallied in front of Medan Police headquarters to protest the closure of TOPKOTA and an attack on Orbit, two local daily newspapers.

Three reporters were injured when unknown attackers raided Orbit’s office on Tuesday night, allegedly motivated by the newspaper’s reports on alleged gambling racket run by a food company.

“Press freedom in this region is under threat. Violence haunts the press. This has been marked by an escalation in anarchic acts against media workers,” Rika Yoez, chairwoman of the Independent Journalist Alliance’s (AJI) Medan branch, said, adding that there were 11 reported threats to media freedom in the region over the last two years.

The violence was counterproductive to democratization, Rika said.

Medan Police chief Sr. Cmr. Tagam Sinaga promised a thorough investigation of the Orbit case.

“We have named seven people suspects, including the director of PT Wahana Dewata Mandiri,” he said.

The company allegedly distributed lottery tickets to customers.

Meanwhile, Medan Mayor Rahudman Harahap allegedly ordered TOPKOTA closed last weekend after it published a report alleging Rahudman assaulted a government official who allegedly had an affair with his wife. — JP