The US military freed an Iraqi journalist who works for Reuterstoday after holding him for nearly eight months without charge.
Samir Mohammed Noor was the third journalist working for Reutersto be freed from military custody after two others were released a week ago. At least two journalists for other international media organisations are still being held.
Mr Noor, a 30-year-old freelance television cameraman, spent time in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison and lately at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq. He was arrested at his home in the northern city of Tal Afar in early June during a general search of his neighbourhood by Iraqi and US troops.
"We are glad that all journalists working for Reuters in Iraq are now free," said ReutersGlobal Managing Editor David Schlesinger.
"We are concerned, however, that it has taken so long - nearly eight months in the case of Samir - to secure their release, despite a lack of credible evidence against them."
Two Reutersjournalists from Ramadi, cameraman Ali al-Mashhadani and reporter Majed Hameed, who also works for Al-Arabiya television, were freed on January 15 thafter five and four months in custody respectively.
Among those still being held is a cameraman from the northern city of Mosul who works for the US television network CBS. He has been held since last April.
Reutersand international media rights groups haverepeatedly voiced concern at long US detentions of journalistswithout legal process.
They have in particular criticised the military's refusal todeal more quickly with suspicions arising from the reporters' legitimate journalistic activities..
Reutersis gathering information from the three released journalists to learn more about the circumstances of theirarrests and detention.
Mr Schlesinger said: "Nothing we have heard so far from eitherthe US military or our colleagues indicates that suspicions were raised against them for any other reason than their courageous and honest pursuit of professional journalism."