German police 'man-handled' Briton

A British photographer who was assaulted while taking pictures of east Germany's neo-Nazi scene was seizedby police, a witness claimed yesterday.

A British photographer who was assaulted while taking pictures of east Germany's neo-Nazi scene was seizedby police, a witness claimed yesterday.

Justin Jin, a freelance photographer of Asian descent, was punched in the face by a skinhead on Friday in Rathenow, a town notorious for its racist climate, near Berlin. What happened after that is disputed, but a witness told The Independent that police let the assailant go but man-handled the victim and snatched his mobile phone when he tried to call a lawyer.

Mr Jin and four African asylum-seekers were walking from a billiard hall after 10pm when their way was barred by a skinhead who verbally abused them. While some of the Africans answered back, Mr Jin took out his camera and the skinhead punched him in the face.

Two policewomen were on the scene within five minutes, followed by two other youths. Thinking the police were arresting the Africans, they stood behind the officer questioning the skinhead and chanted racist slogans.

But then Mr Jin tried to take their picture and, Christopher Nsoh, a Cameroonian in Mr Jin's party, said: "The two policewomen pounced on him, twisted his arm behind his back and pushed him into the van." Mr Jin's camera and mobile phone were taken away, and the photographer was taken to the police station for questioning. The skinhead, aged 21, is due to appear in court today charged with assault.