27 July 2010

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) condemns the attack of a group of Israeli settlers on a France Press Agency photographer Jaafar Ishtiyeh and the correspondent of WAFA News Agency, Ayman Al-Nubani, on Wednesday evening, 26 July 2010 in Burin village near the city of Nablus on the West Bank.
Ishtiyeh said that he went to cover clashes between Burin village citizens and Israeli settlers, after the settlers attacked the village lands. When he was standing with his colleague Al-Nubani to cover the confrontations, a group of settlers throw stones at them, causing them bruises and wounds all over their bodies. 
On the other hand MADA condemns the summon of WAFA news agency correspondent Hussam Almughani on Sunday, 25 July 2010, and Prime Magazine “Siyasat” Atef Abu Seif on Wednesday, 21 July 2010. By the internal security of the dismissed government in Gaza. 
WAFA reported in a statement on Sunday that Almughani has been summoned by the Internal Security in Abu Khadra to investigation, and when he went there he was detained for six hours, during that he was subjected to harsh and insult in absence words. After that he was released to return to the internal security headquarters tomorrow, Wednesday 28 July 2010. Almughani could not be contacted by MADA’s legal adviser, who was informed that they had confiscated his computer and his cell phone.
Abu Seif said to MADA’s legal advisor in Gaza that he had gone on Wednesday at 10:00 AM to the headquarters of the internal security in Jabalya area on receipt of a summon request from the Internal Security in Jabalya, and upon his arrival to the center he was taken blindfolded into a jail. Then they security members ordered him to stand in a queue with other people that he did not know. During that one of the security members beat one of the detainees, and then he asked him why you are laughing? Abu Seif replied: I do not laugh at people whom being beaten. After that the security man directly beated him. Then he was returned to the cel until 9:00 PM then he was released to return back on Thursday 22 July 2010 at eight in the morning. Abu Seif said: "In the next day morning I was detained from 8:00 AM until 11:00 AM and I was blindfolded, and no one investigated me, but I was released to come back on Monday, 26 July 2010." The lawyer tried to contact him over yesterday and today but to no avail. 
On the other hand MADA center appeals over the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Ramallah, to give the TV stations and private radio stations an extra time to correct their situation, and to consider reducing the fees for the frequencies for the television stations, especially that most of them suffering from difficult financial conditions.
The ministry has issued on 25 July 2010 notifications to 19 radio and TV stations, to order them to stop broadcasting and to correct their conditions within a month or the ministry will close them permanently. 
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Contact: 
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
Ramallah
riham@madacenter.org
www.madacenter.org
00970 2 2976519