Press advocates denounce case against Iowa reporter

IOWA CITY, Iowa — An Iowa journalist faces trial Monday on charges stemming from her coverage of a protest against racial injustice, a case that prosecutors have pursued despite international condemnation from free press advocates who say she was just doing her job.

The case of Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri, who was pepper sprayed and arrested while reporting on a clash between protesters and police, will highlight an aggressive response by Iowa authorities against those who organized and attended protests that erupted last summer and occasionally turned violent.

Sahouri is charged with failure to disperse and interference with official acts, misdemeanors that could bring fines and up to 30 days in jail.

Sahouri’s newspaper, the Iowa Freedom of Information Council and Amnesty International are among press advocates that have demanded Polk County drop the charges, which they call an abuse of power that violate the Constitution’s First Amendment.

“This is outrageous. Reporting at a protest scene as a working member of the media is not a crime. It is a right that must be protected,” Amnesty International said.

But Des Moines police and County Attorney John Sarcone’s office have not backed down. They argue that Sahouri wasn’t wearing press credentials and appeared to be a participant in an unlawful assembly, saying journalists do not have a free pass to ignore dispersal orders.

Critics say authorities seem to be seeking a conviction to justify an officer’s decision to unnecessarily use force against a reporter.

Sahouri, 25, was covering a Black Lives Matter protest when tensions escalated between participants and police.

Sahouri repeatedly identified herself as press but was nonetheless taken to jail. She reported her arrest live from the back of a police van.