[News] Occupation Forces - campaign of detention against journalists in the West Bank and Jerusalem
Anti-Imperialist News
news at freedomarchives.org
Thu Mar 14 19:36:19 EDT 2013
Occupation Forces embark on campaign of arbitrary detention against
journalists and media in the West Bank and Jerusalem, fire on them
during their work
/Occupied Ramallah, 14 March 2013
http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=585
/Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association is deeply
concerned by the sharp increase in the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF)’s
detention of reporters and journalists in the West Bank and Occupied
Jerusalem, particularly since the beginning of 2013. The IOF has been
arresting journalists and reporters without clear and specific charges
in an attempt to silence their voices and deprive them of their rights
to free speech and expression.
Addameer has documented 13 cases in which journalists have been detained
in the Occupation's prisons. The majority of detained journalists were
arrested this year, with 6 journalists detained during the first three
months of 2013, compared with 2 such detentions in 2012. This is in
addition to a journalist being held under house arrest in Jerusalem.
This journalist has also been banned from entering the West Bank.
The names of detained journalists, listed chronologically in terms of
date of arrest, are as follows:
Journalist and prisoner *Yaseen Abu Khadeer*, from Shofat/Jerusalem.
He is the longest-serving detained Palestinian journalist. He was
arrested on 27 December 1987 and faces a prison sentence of 28 years.
At the time of his arrest, he worked for Al-Quds newspaper.
Journalist and prisoner *Mahmoud Issa*, from Anata/Jerusalem. He
faces the longest sentence of all detained journalists. He was arrested
on 6 March 1993 and was dealt three life sentences and a sentence of 41
years. He used to work for the newspaper "Right and Freedom," which
is published in the 1948 Territories.
Journalist and prisoner *Muhammad Al-Taj*, Tubas/Jenin. He has been
detained since 19 November 2003 and was sentenced to 14 years
imprisonment. He worked as a writer and journalist with the Palestinian
Liberation Front.
Journalist and prisoner *Ahmad Al-Sifi*, from Birzeit/Ramallah. He
is a student at Birzeit University and was studying journalism and media
until he was detained on 19 August 2009. He is currently serving a 19
year sentence.
Journalist and detainee *Amer Abu Arfa*, from Al-Khalil (Hebron). He
has been held in administrative detention since 20 August 2011 without
charge or trial, and worked as a correspondent for Shehab News Agency.
Journalist and detainee *Sharif Al-Rujoob*, from Al-Khalil
(Hebron). Detained since 3 June 2012, he is still awaiting trial.
Before his arrest, he worked for the radio station "Voice of
Al-Aqsa" in Al-Khalil.
Journalist and detainee *Murad Abu Al-Bahaa*, from Ramallah. Detained
since 15 June 2012, he is still awaiting trial. He was a reporter in
the Palestinian Legislative Council office in Ramallah.
Journalist and detainee *Anan Ajawi* (28 years old), from
'Aja/Jenin. He was detained on 16 January 2013 while passing through
Al-Karamah crossing as he was returning from Egypt, where he was
working as a journalist for a number of associations. He is currently
being held without charge or trial.
Journalist and detainee *Muhammad Sabana*, from Qabatiya/Jenin. He
was detained on 17 February 2013 at Al-Karamah crossing as he was
returning from Jordan. He is currently being held in interrogation and
works as a cartoonist.
Journalist and detainee *Musab Shawer*, from Al-Khalil (Hebron). He
was detained on 25 February 2013 and currently remains in detention
without charge or trial. Before his arrest, he worked as a broadcaster
for a special radio show about prisoners on Al-Khalil Radio.
Journalist and detainee *Baker Atili* (27 years old), from Nablus. He
was detained on 6 March 2013 and is currently being held without charge
or trial. Before his arrest, he worked as an independent photographer
and producer for a number of satellite and television channels.
Journalist and detainee *Tareq Abu Zaid*, from Jenin. He was detained
on 8 March 2013 and is currently being held for interrogation. Before
his arrest, he worked as a correspondent for Al-Aqsa satellite channel.
Journalist and detainee *Waleed Khaled*, from Sakaka/Salfit. He was
detained on 10 March 2013 and is currently being held for
interrogation. Before his arrest, he worked as office manager for the
newspaper Palestine Today.
It is also worth mentioning that journalist Rasim Abeedat has been
denied entry to the West Bank since 30 January 2012. No reasons have
been given for this ban, which is in stark violation of international
laws and conventions concerning the freedom of journalists.
This is all in addition to the permanent targeting of journalists during
their coverage of events in the occupied Palestinian territories. It
has been noted in the recent past that IOF soldiers are evidently and
systematically aiming to injure journalists, photographers, and
cameramen in order to prevent them from transmitting the realities of
Occupation to the international community. It is worth mentioning here
the cases of journalist photographer Atta Eweesat and reporter Mahfouz
Abu Turk, who were directly fired upon with tear gas canisters and
rubber bullets by IOF soldiers in occupied Jerusalem last Friday, 8
March 2013. Photographer Haythem Al-Khateeb also suffered direct
injuries in the village of Bil'in, West of Ramallah. Journalist
photographer Jihad Al-Khateeb was also shot in his stomach during his
coverage of clashes at Ofer checkpoint, near Ramallah.
Addameer strongly condemns the IOF's continuous persecution of
journalists, affirming that this constitutes a clear violation of their
legal, professional, and humanitarian rights. This campaign also
represents a flagrant infringement of all laws and international norms
and conventions which guarantee freedom of opinion and expression.
Addameer believes that the targeting of Palestinian journalists by the
IOF is part of a deliberate plan to create a lack of Palestinian
journalists in the field of media, both on local and global scales.
Addameer deplores the silence of international institutions regarding
the direct targeting and detention of Palestinian journalists, and
calls for the application of increased pressure on the Occupation to
immediately release reporters and journalists detained in the
Occupation's jails.
*ACT NOW!*
*Write to the Israeli government, military and legal authorities and
demand the release of Palestinian journalists.
* Brigadier General Danny Efroni
Military Judge Advocate General
6 David Elazar Street
Harkiya, Tel Aviv
Israel
Fax: +972 3 608 0366; +972 3 569 4526
Email: arbel at mail.idf.il; avimn at idf.gov.il
* Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon
OC Central Command Nehemia Base, Central Command
Neveh Yaacov, Jerusalam
Fax: +972 2 530 5741
* Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak
Ministry of Defense
37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya
Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
Fax: +972 3 691 6940 / 696 2757
* Col. Eli Bar On
Legal Advisor of Judea and Samaria PO Box 5
Beth El 90631
Fax: +972 2 9977326
*Write to your own elected representatives urging them to pressure
Israel to release Palestinian journalists.
--
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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