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<h1>Occupation Forces embark on campaign of arbitrary detention against
journalists and media in the West Bank and Jerusalem, fire on them
during their work</h1>
<span class="text">
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><i><span dir="ltr">Occupied
Ramallah, 14 March 2013<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=585">http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=585</a><br>
<br>
</span></i><span dir="ltr">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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">The names of
detained journalists, listed chronologically in terms of date of
arrest, are as follows: </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
prisoner <b>Yaseen Abu Khadeer</b>, 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.</span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
prisoner <b>Mahmoud Issa</b>, 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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
prisoner <b>Muhammad Al-Taj</b>, 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.</span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
prisoner <b>Ahmad Al-Sifi</b>, 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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
detainee <b>Amer Abu Arfa</b>, 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.</span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
detainee <b>Sharif Al-Rujoob</b>, 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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
detainee <b>Murad Abu Al-Bahaa</b>, from Ramallah. Detained since
15 June 2012, he is still awaiting trial. He was a reporter in the
Palestinian Legislative Council office in Ramallah. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
detainee <b>Anan Ajawi</b> (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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
detainee <b>Muhammad Sabana</b>, 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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
detainee <b>Musab Shawer</b>, 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.</span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
detainee <b>Baker Atili</b> (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.</span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
detainee <b>Tareq Abu Zaid</b>, 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.</span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">Journalist and
detainee <b>Waleed Khaled</b>, 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.</span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">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. </span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"><span dir="ltr">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.</span></div>
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;"> </div>
<div align="center"><b>ACT NOW!</b></div>
<div> </div>
<div>*Write to the Israeli government, military and legal authorities
and demand the release of Palestinian journalists.</div>
<ul type="disc">
<li>Brigadier General Danny Efroni<br>
Military Judge Advocate General<br>
6 David Elazar Street<br>
Harkiya, Tel Aviv<br>
Israel<br>
Fax: +972 3 608 0366; +972 3 569 4526<br>
Email: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:arbel@mail.idf.il">arbel@mail.idf.il</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:avimn@idf.gov.il">avimn@idf.gov.il</a></li>
<li>Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon<br>
OC Central Command Nehemia Base, Central Command<br>
Neveh Yaacov, Jerusalam<br>
Fax: +972 2 530 5741</li>
<li>Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak<br>
Ministry of Defense<br>
37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya<br>
Tel Aviv 61909, Israel<br>
Fax: +972 3 691 6940 / 696 2757</li>
<li>Col. Eli Bar On<br>
Legal Advisor of Judea and Samaria PO Box 5<br>
Beth El 90631<br>
Fax: +972 2 9977326</li>
</ul>
<div>*Write to your own elected representatives urging them to pressure
Israel to release Palestinian journalists.</div>
</span>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.freedomarchives.org">www.freedomarchives.org</a>
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