Ramallah-14/4/ 2016  a remarkable escalation in the total number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine, in comparison to what was monitored  in February 2016, the gravest violations were the murder of Iyad Omar Sajdieh media student, and the closure of “Palestine Today” TV office and “trans-media” company by the Israeli Occupation Forces(IOF). 

 

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms “MADA” monitored 40 violations, as 37 were committed by the Israeli Occupation Forces, whilst, 3 violations were committed by Palestinian parties (declined from 5 in February to 3 violations in March), nevertheless, MADA monitored 35 violations during February, as 30 were committed by Israelis.

 

This remarkable escalation in violations was a result of an increase of Israeli assaults following the recent dangerous escalatory step against media freedoms, particularly, after a decision by the Israeli Prime minister to shut down media outlets on 08/03/2016 under the pretext of “exercising incitement”, which will have serious repercussion of freedom of expression and opinion.

In conjunction with the fact that “Eutelsat” a French company stopped the broadcasting of Al-Aqsa Channel from Gaza, alleging of “Inciting terrorism”, following an Israeli decision of shutting down two media institution is Ramallah, also under the pretext of incitement.  

 

On the other hand, the Palestinian National Authority announced on March 14 a new plan for “online-filtering " that certainly worries MADA Center, " which may lead to serious breaches and violations against media freedoms, freedom of expression and access to information, Particularly, after the usage of loose sentences and phrases as a justification as “providing safe -internet service- for families and children in order to protect civilization and guarantee civil peace” as quoted  by the Palestinian Minister of Communication and Information Technology Allam Mousa during an interview.

 

Israeli Violations - March/2016

 

Israeli violations monitored during March were considered as grave and danger against media freedoms, and the most prominent was the murder of a media student in Al-Quds University Iyad Omar Sajdieh, rather than, raiding and shutting down two media institutions “Palestine Today” TV, and “trans-media” company, and the confiscation of broadcasting equipment and some other properties.

 In conjunction with arresting seven journalists and media workers, besides,  all systematic assaults against journalists and prevention of covering incidents and violations.

 

A media student was killed, Iyad Omar Sajdieh after being shot with a fatal bullet by IOF during their raid to Qalandia Refugee Camp on the 1st of March, besides, IOF arrested on 09/03 the editor in  “Alfajr Aljadeed” local  TV Station Sami Saeed Al Sa’ee after raiding his house in Tulkarm, on the dawn of 11/03 IOF also shut down the headquarter of “Palestine today” TV station and “Trans-media” media services company in Al-bireh City, after raiding and confiscating most of its equipment, furthermore,  IOF arrested the cameraman and director of “Trans-media” mohammad Amro, and the broadcast technician Shabeib Mohammad Shabeib (from the headquarter), in conjunction,  IOF arrested the office manager of “Palestine” TV station in Ramallah, Farouq Qasem Elyyat from his house in Birzeit.   

 

On 12/03 IOF arrested the accountant of “Palestine Today” TV, Ibraheem Reyad Jaradat (30 years) on a checkpoint near Ramallah, on (13/03) several media workers at “Palestine today” TV received call threats, from an anonymous who introduced himself as an officer from the Israeli security (Shin-Bet), who requested them to stop working with the TV and threatened them with arrestment in case they continued ( Fida Abdelfattah Nasr, Jihad Barakat , and Amon Sheikh).

 

Furthermore, media workers at Palestine Today TV  office, in Gaza Strip also, received call threats, from the same number that contacted their colleague Fida’ Nasr (Amad Khawajah who works in follow up and coordination department).

On 13/03 IOF arrested the presenter of Radio “Bethlehem 2000” Mohamed Khalil Zaghloul from his house in Beit Jala, additionally, on 18/03 IOF detained Hisham Kamel Abu Shakra the photographer of "Anadolu Agency" after filming a shooting incident that took place at a military checkpoint, and they also confiscated his camera and personal cellphone.

 

On 29/3 IOF arrested a student in media department- Hebron University Musab Khamis Kufaisheh (a freelance reporter for Al Quds media center - Jerusalem network) from his house in Hebron, moreover, IOF also attacked a group of journalists (at least 11 journalists) while covering a demonstration in Burqa Village –Nablus governorate with tear gas and sound bombs in order to prevent them from covering a peaceful march on 30/03. 

 

 

Palestinian Violations - March/2016

 

The total number of Palestinian violations declined during March in comparison with what was monitored in February 2016, as only 3 violations were monitored in March (and 5 violations were monitored during February).

 

On 11/03 the Correspondent of “Al Hurra” TV in Ramallah Faten Aref  Elwan, faced induction that involved threats, as a result of publishing a video that criticizes the way dealt with “the teachers strike” that was outrageous and contained insulting and degrading, through the offensive criticism by Azzam Al Ahmad(member in Fateh Central comity) , in addition, on 22/03 preventive security service arrested Mohammad Shukri Awad the cameraman of ”Wattan TV/Agency” after being summoned twice.

 

 

March 2016 violations-in details.

 

(01/03) - IOF killed a media student at  Al-Quds University Iyad Omar Sajdieh (22years), after being shot with a fatal bullet by one of the Israeli Forces, following a raid of Qalandia Refugee Camp, his  cousin Ghassan Sajdieh  reported to MADA “Israeli special forces stormed Qalandia refugee camp in a small vehicle, on 29/02 after “accidently” lost their way upon their claim, consequently, clashes erupted, and youths from Qalandia hurled stones toward them, afterwards, IOF raided the refugee camp”.

He added “IOF, fired life bullets and flare bombs excessively, whilst, Iayd  was on the rooftop checking the incidents, one of the Israeli forces shot him a bullet in the head at the dawn of 01/03, noting that he was left on the ground for about an hour bleeding”.

 

 

 (09/03) - IOF arrested the editor in  Al Fajer  local TV and  a correspondent of  Al Quds radio Sami Saeed Al Sa’ee (36 years) after raiding his house in Tulkarm city / north of the West Bank, as his wife Amani Al Sa’ee reported to MADA.

She reported that “around 3:00 am we were traumatized with hard knocks on the door, and a large force raided the house and arrested Sami, after questioning his name and date of birth, afterwards, they asked him to take all his needed medications”.

She added “nothing was confiscated during the raid only my Cellphone as they suspected that I filmed the incident, meanwhile, they didn’t interrogate or accuse him”.

 

Amani also reported to MADA later  that Sami’s arrestment was extended until 15/5 to provide a list of full indictment against him, after finishing the interrogation process, she said according to his lawyer "Sami is now located in the Mejiddo prison and most likely that his charge will be related to incitement on social media –Facebook”.

She added as The Palestinian Prisoners' Club informed us, the indictment filed against Sami was related to accusing him of “incitement” through publishing photos and phrases condemning IOF operations, noting that all Sami’s posts on Facebook were monitored since the beginning of October till the day of his arrest”.

 

 (11/03) - IOF shut down the headquarters of “Palestine today” TV and “Trans-media” company in Al-Bireh City (both in the same floor), following a raid that took place on the dawn of 11/03, that resulted in confiscating some of their assets and equipment, besides, arresting the cameraman and director of Trans Media company Mohammed Amro (31 years ), and the broadcast technician Shabib Mohamed Shabib (27 years) . 

 Amro reported to MADA " IOF  raided the headquarters of “Palestine today " TV  and " Trans- Media " company ( both in the same building and floor in Al-Bireh City) around 2:00 am, on ( 11/03 ) during our presence in the location; they were accompanied with a winch (truck) in order to confiscate the broadcasting equipment ".

 

He clarified, "at first they raided the headquarters of “Palestine today” , they smashed the front door , when I ran out to see what was going on , whilst, five masked soldiers raided " Trans- Media" company and detained  me and my colleague Shabib in the broadcast room- after searching us, furthermore, they searched the offices and started interrogating me about the office and our daily work and tasks”.

He added, “They asked me if the company provides services for Palestine Today, I replied that this is our main duty, and then they asked me about the transmitters  and broadcasting equipment’s room, and to list the the channels we provide services for, and in case we have an office in Gaza Strip”.

He added "IOF dismantled the transmitters in such a barbaric and brutal way in order to either confiscate or cause damage to the equipment, I was escorted to the offices of “Palestine today”, they asked about the office of the channel’s director Farouq Elyyat, they raided the office and confiscated some files, rather than our personal cellphones, computers, and the personal camera of my colleague Shabib, in addition to 1500$ from the management office”.

He added “the soldiers  were masked, later, we were handcuffed, arrested and transferred to Beit Eil settlement (near Rmallah), where they switched the cars, when we did not realize where we are until being released at 5:00 am in Altawil Mountain/ an area near Beit Eil settlement, while they kept all our confiscated devices".

Amro said that he and his colleague Shabib went to Beit Eil settlement on 13/3 to return their personal confiscated devices by IOF but they didn’t return them”. (Till 24/03 nothing was returned).

 

 

 (11/03) - IOF arrested the Director of Palestine today TV in Ramallah Farouq Qasim Elyyat (32 years) from his house in Birzeit, after searching the place and confiscating his cellphone, his personal laptop, and materials that belong to the TV (hard-desk and video tapes) as reported by his wife Sabreen, he was detained till the 31/03, afterwards, he was released on bail.

Elyyat reported to MADA after he was released that , approximately after 3 weeks of detention, “they dragged me to a military campus near Ramallah that I don’t know, on the other day  I was transferred to Offar detention center, later in the evening I was transferred to Atsyoun detention center,  I was presented in court where  they extended my detention for 10 more days/ pending investigations, on 14/03 I was presented to the police and charged for being the manager of Palestine Today TV(office in Ramallh), which is considered as a banned TV,  and accusation of cooperating with Islamic Jihad (Which I refuted and denied immediately), they interrogated me only once during the period of detention based on grounds of my previous affiliation toward Islamic Jihad, but mainly, they focused more on the work of Palestine Today TV,  mechanisms of action and the coordination with guests, and with which companies we cooperate, and names of the staff in West Bank, moreover, during the interrogation they presented 16 videos of most of them were national songs, except one video that showed solidarity with the hunger striker journalist Mohammad Alqiq, and another for Ahmad Alouri a leader in Islamic Jihad, I was released following an agreement between my lawyer and the public prosecution to pay a total amount of 2000 NIS as a bail /according to my lawyer who explained that this can be considered as a fine, or a bail /depends on the court hearing which will be appointed later”.

 

 

(11/03)-  “EutelSat” a French company stopped the broadcasting of Al-Aqsa Channel,  after one day of issuing an Israeli decision of shutting down media outlets, under a pretext of “exercising Incitement ”, as the news and political programs director of Al-Aqsa TV Imad Abdullah Zaqout reported to MADA” On Thursday 3/10 we received a warning letter from the French satellite company /Eutelsat/ that they will stop the channel’s broadcasting in Paris, and on Friday afternoon (11/3) the broadcast was actually stop”.

 

Zaqout added, "This is the second time that the channel is restricted based on a French decision, as the first time was back in 2010”. 

Moreover, he added “We already communicated with the company from which we rent the frequency, when we were informed that the resolution was based on/ a French political decision based on charges that Al-Aqsa TV incites terrorism”.

 

 

 (11/03)- the Correspondent of  “Al Hurra” TV in Ramallah Faten Aref Elwan (36 years), faced induction that involved threats, as a result of publishing a video that criticizes the way dealt with “the teachers strike”, she reported to MADA “the incitement against me started after I  conducted and published a video of (Azzam Al Ahmad humiliating and degrading teachers who organized the strike, where he described them as naïve and stupid) “,  she added “ I contacted  Azzam Al Ahmad where he asked me to re-watch the video, yet my point of view didn’t change”.

she also added "afterwards,  there were a creation of a Facebook page under a title / State of Palestine Salaries / that attempts to raise a campaign of  incitement against me with my personal picture, reading books that written on – Faten Elwan /uncle Sam schoolgirl, or / Alhurra was established following the invasion of Iraq, hence, I shared a video, demanding them to be more realistic and logic in their accusation, and I threatened to file a complaint against them , when I received several comments from which one said that I can resort to Hamas to open one of the tunnels for me”.

 

 

On (12/03) - IOF arrested the accountant of “Palestine today” TV, Ibraheem Reyad Jaradat (30 years) while heading to his place in Bernabala south of Ramallah, for 20 days, he was released afterwards, on a bail, he reported to MADA on 31/03 after being released ”IOF arrested me on 12/03 from Bernabala checkpoint, and I was transferred to Atarot area (near the check point)  handcuffed and blindfolded, and after the soldiers noted that I work in Palestine Today TV they started insulting an beating me”. 

 

He also added” afterwards, I was directly transferred to Atsyon detention center (near Bethlehem), where I stayed there for 10 days and was interrogated only once, for two hours, regarding my work, later I was transferred to Ofar detention center, where I stayed for more ten days till the court hold the hearing, I was released on 31/03, with 2000 NIS  -bail, and I wasn’t informed about the next hearing court”.

 

 (13/3) - Several journalists at Palestine Today TV, received call threats, from an anonymous who introduced himself as an officer for the Israeli security, he demanded them to stop working for the TV and threatened them with arrestment in case of continuation, Fida Abdelfattah Nasr (27 years) the correspondent of Palestine Today in the south of the West Bank reported to MADA “on 13/03 I received a phone call from an Israeli number, from a guy who introduced himself as /David he said that he works at (Shin Bet) Israeli Security Agency, he claimed that I work in a TV that exercise incitement of killing innocent Israelis, and this TV is illegal and I shouldn’t continue working with them, and in case I continued working or kept connections with the TV I will be hold accountable and I will be arrested. And this  the message he wanted to deliver to me”.

Nasr clarified “Both of my colleagues Jihad Barakat the TV correspondent in Ramallah , and Amon Sheikh the TV correspondent in the north received the same content of the call from the same person-same name)”.

 

Moreover,  most of Palestine today TV staff  in Gaza Strip, received the same threat cal from the same number, as Mahmoud Ahmad Khawajah (26 years)  who works in coordination and follow up department of Palestine today TV in Gaza reported to MADA “I received a phone call from an Israeli number around quarter to eleven on Tuesday noon,  from the same Israeli officer who contacted my colleagues in the West Bank, he informed me that it is strictly prohibited to contact our colleagues in the West Bank,  and anyone who contacts them will be arrested, you hold accountability for all innocent Israeli who are murdered, as we are media that influence terrorism” khawajah added  “I told him that we will keep on covering all incidents and we won’t stop, he replied with cursing insulting and ended the phone call”.

 

(18/03) -  IOF detained the photographer of “Anatolia Turkish agency, Hisham Kamel Abu Shakra (28 years), after filming a shooting incident of  a Palestinian youth, near  a military checkpoint near Bethlehem, moreover, they confiscated his camera and personal cellphone, as Abu Shaqra reported to MADA “I was detained on 18/03 for four hours at the crossroads of Atssyoun (from 3:00pm till 7:00pm), after stopping me, as I was filming the incident of shooting the killing of  Mahmoud Abu Fanouneh ”.

He added, I was pulled out of the car, when I was subjected to field investigation, on the reasons of why I am here, where I work, and why am I filming, after four hours I was released but they confiscated my camera and personal cellphone”. 

 

 

 (22/03)- the Palestinian  preventive security service detained the video cameraman  of Wattan TV and agency Mohammad Shukri Awad (29years) after being summoned twice, as his brother reported to MADA “ Mohammad was summoned by the security preventive service, to present himself at the headquarters in Ramallah,  the other day on 22/03 he headed to their(office in Ramallah) upon their request, where he stayed from 10:00am to 5:00pm, till he was released, I don’t know what he was interrogated about as I didn’t get the chance to talk to him, he also received another call by the same side on Wednesday 23/03 to follow up with the security preventive service, he headed there after finishing his daily work at Wattan agency, he wasn’t released yet( Thursday 24/03)”.

 

 He added, “I was talking to Mohammad around 7:00 pm (Wednesday afternoon) when he informed me that he was still in the waiting room, waiting for the officer who wasn’t there yet, supposedly, Alaa’ Freijat will follow up his case (the lawyer of the journalist’s syndicate) as the general director of Wattan – Moammar Orabi informed us.”

According to the journalists' syndicate lawyer Alaa’ Freijat, that on 29/03 they held a court hearing for the journalist Awad, where they decided to extend his detention by the public prosecution, pending investigation on a charge of/ receiving donations for illegal associations, which he was already interrogated about- being charged twice for the same criminal act / as the law prevents prosecutors from repeatedly bringing charges against a defendant in hopes of eventually getting a guilty verdict /double jeopardy ”. 

 

 (29/03)- IOF arrested Musab Khamis Kufaisheh (21 years) a student in media department -Hebron University (a freelance reporter at Al-Quds media center - Jerusalem), from his house in Hebron, where his brother Qassam Kufiesheh reported to MADA,”IOF raided our house in Hebron at 4:30am  on the dawn of 29/03, they directly asked about my brother Musab, and took his personal ID, they interrogated him in regards of his work and studies, when he informed them that he is a journalist, the Israeli Officer replied that this is the main reason of your arrest ,  and to consider yourself  under arrest”.

he added “they searched the house rapidly, no confiscation, till the moment we don’t know where Musab is, after following up with the red cross we were informed that only after 24 hours they can start investigating his place”.

 

 

 (30/03) – IOF attacked a group of journalists while covering a demonstration in Burqa (Nablus governorate) with tear Gas and sound bombs,  as the photographer of  “Xinhua News Agency” Nidal Shafiq Shtayyeh (46years) reported  to MADA” on 30/03 around 11:00 am, IOF attacked  a demonstration, that took place  in- Burqa- Nablus governorate / to commemorate  the anniversary of Earth day, they started attacking and assaulting demonstrators with tear gas and sound bombs, and stun grenades, which led to the suffocation for several journalists( the photographer Jafar Ishtayeh who went in a state of coma) , furthermore (the cameraman of Palestine today TV and Al-Jazeera TV) were assaulted as well.

According to Al-Quds TV correspondent in the north of the west bank  Samer Amin Khuyrah (35 years) who reported to MADA” The demonstration was supposed to start from the crossroad of Bazarya to the entrance of Homesh (which is evacuated of settlers) that is located between Nablus and Jenin, me and (Pal-media/ cameraman,Ahmad Albath, and the crew of Palestine TV, correspondent Rima Al- Amleh and the cameraman), reached a hill located in opposite of Homesh  (Evocated )settlement, and after we've prepared the cameras (it was almost 10:30am) an  Israeli officer came and showed us  a document in Hebrew, with a map, he informed us that we entered a closed area, and we have three minutes to vacate the place”.

Khuyrh added “we moved back to the crossroad of Bazarya, where the demonstration already started, whence, the IOF started firing tear gas bombs, and assaulting everyone with no distinction, which led to breaking the windshield of –the broadcasting car of Al-Quds TV, meanwhile, my colleague Rima El Amleh, tried to return to the same spot which we were previously expelled from, when IOF detained Palestine TV filming crew- for around half an hour”.

He added, “All journalists and others who attended the demonstration, were pushed and expelled rather than obstructing their wok, amongst these journalists were (Nidal Ishtayeh, Jafar Ishtyeh, Shadi Jarar’a, Ayman Nubani, Bassam Abu Elrub from Wafa Agency, and Muhammad Turabi photographer of 24FM)” .