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Claims Abdel Bari Atwan 'paid' by Gaddafi regime

September 16, 2011 09:28
Abdel Bari Atwan

By

Jessica Elgot,

Jessica Elgot

1 min read

London Arab journalist Abdel Bari Atwan has been accused by the Libyan transnational government of receiving monthly payments from the Colonel Gaddafi regime.

Libyan opposition leaders has distributed intelligence documents, claiming a number of Arab journalists received payments from Colonel Gaddafi's administration, allegedly including Mr Atwan. He is the editor of the London-based Al Quds newspaper, and a regular commentator for the Guardian and the BBC.

Mr Atwan, who was accused of antisemitism after remarks about the "Jewish lobby" at a debate held at LSE this year, is alleged to have been paid a monthly salary of around £2,500 a month for three years, a claim he vigorously denies.

He called the allegations defamatory, and told the Palestine Press News Agency that the documents were fraudulent. He promised to sue Libya's Mustafa Abdul Jalil, president of the Transitional National Assembly, through the British courts.