Paris: In a March 22 letter regarding detained Agence France-Presse journalists Dave Clark and Roberto Schmidt, as well as photographer Joe Raedle from Getty Images, with which AFP collaborates, AFP Chairman Emmanuel Hoog has asked Colonel Moamer Kadhafi “to restore their liberty, in the name of the same freedom of expression and information that you refer to so often.” The three journalists were detained by Libyan forces on Saturday near Ajdabiya in the east of Libya.

“We are certain that you will hear this message regarding these three colleagues, two of whom work for one of the largest global news agencies, whose reputation for quality and independence, notably in the Arab world, is unquestionable.”

Emmanuel Hoog and AFP director of information Philippe Massonnet met French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and Culture and Communication Minister Frederic Mitterrand on Tuesday to discuss what steps might be taken to ensure the journalists’ release.