Paul Ronzheimer arrested and interrogated in Lebanon

Paul Ronzheimer is known for its reporting from crisis areas. Already at the beginning of the Ukraine war reported Reporter and deputy editor-in-chief of the Bild newspaper regularly under dangerous conditions about war progress and setbacks.

Handcuffed and blindfolded

Also in Middle East Ronzheimer is deployed with a team of reporters to report developments in the Middle East conflict. End September The journalists are said to have been taken from their hotel rooms by unknown men. In Handcuffed and blindfolded Ronzheimer and his team shouted loudly Bild interrogated. They are said to have been employees of the Lebanese military intelligence service. The incident has only now been reported by the Axel Springer Media made public because they wanted to ensure the safety of those involved beforehand.

Report in podcast

After hours of interrogation, the journalists were released German embassy intervened according to media reports. Ronzheimer and his team have now landed safely back in Germany. On the podcast Ronzheimer the 39-year-old talks about his experiences in Lebanon and explains that the “film in his head” began after he saw the stranger’s handcuffs.

He feared to Hezbollah to be brought. He reports: “And suddenly we were put into a car. (…) And then Giorgos and I were sitting in a private car, which wasn’t like we know it in Germany, a police car.” He also thanks his colleagues and the local authorities for their quick help.

Lebanese security circles said Ronzheimer did not have the required accreditation from the Ministry of Information. A “Bild” spokesman contradicted this: an accreditation had been properly submitted. “Hezbollah granted permission to work in an area controlled by Hezbollah. During multiple interviews by the Lebanese security authorities, Paul Ronzheimer was never confronted with a lack of accreditation.”

By BildThe report also said: “On the eve of the arrest, shortly after the air strike on Nasrallah, Ronzheimer was placed as a correspondent in several countries, including Israel.” Reporting for Israeli media is officially not permitted in Lebanon. In particular, no official permits are granted for live broadcasts to Israel. The two countries also do not have diplomatic relations.

Ronzheimer wants to continue reporting

Even after his release, Ronzheimer continued to report on the fighting from Beirut, according to the article. After about a week he finally left. However, Ronzheimer explained that his options were limited because of the pro-Iranian Shiite militia Hezbollah: “Regardless of the fact that we were arrested and interrogated there and also sat in prison, it is currently incredibly difficult for many reporters to report on the places that are really important.”

Hezbollah hardly issues any permits to journalists anymore. Nevertheless, Ronzheimer emphasized: “Of course I will continue to report on this war.”