(Increased of 240%)
Ramallah (5/4/2017) - The month of March 2017 witnessed a significant increase in number and type of violations against media freedoms in Palestine, reaching unprecedented rates since 15 months; particularly, since December 2015 during the unrest that included excessive Israeli repression of journalists and media outlets while covering those events.
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) monitored a total of 51 violations against media freedoms in Palestine during March, an increase of about two and a half times compared to previous month, almost, 240% increase compared to February. (February witnessed 15 violations).
Noting that, almost half of these recorded violations were considered as grave and dangerous.
Israeli Violations:
Most of the violations recorded during March, were committed by Israeli Occupation forces (around 33 violations), most of the violations were considered as grave and dangerous breaches, rather than, total rates of violations increased by 266% compared to previous Israeli violations recorded during February 2017.
Israeli occupation forces continued targeting more media outlets through raiding, destroying and confiscating contents of five printing houses: Ibn Khaldun Printing house in Tulkarem and Shuweika, Al- Nahda printing house in Tulkarem and Shuweika, Al-Dozan printing house in the Deheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem was shut after confiscating many of its equipment, besides, raiding the gallery of the caricature artist Osama Nawzal Nazal and confiscated all the drawings.
Among the most prominent Israeli violations recorded during March was the injury of the correspondent of Palestine television in Qalqilya, Ahmed Abdel Malik Othman/ Shawar who was shot in the head with a rubber bullet by an Israeli soldier while covering a peaceful demonstration against settlements in Kufor Qaddum on 3/3.
Besides, the attack of IOF Israeli settlers attacked the reporter of Wafa News Agency Rasha Harazallah and a number of her colleagues, whilst covering the peaceful demonstration protesting settlements near AlNabi Saleh village, in Ramallah governorate on 3/3 that included the arrest and detention of five journalists (editor in "Al Quds" newspaper Mohammed Abd Rabbo ,and reporter of Hebron news agency and photographer of the Turkish TRT channel Musab Ibrahim Saeed, A journalist and photographer in the "Jerusalem Forum" and "Events of Palestine" Mohammed Ismail Al-Batroukh in addition to two media students (Birzeit University Astbrak Ibrahim Yahya, and An-Najah National University /Assem Mustafa Ali Ahmed).
Palestinian Violations:
March 2017, marked a significant increase in Palestinian violations 18 violations all monitored in the West Bank, whereas, (February) witnessed 6 Palestinian violations in total.
About half of total Palestinian violations were considered as serious attacks against media freedoms, including physical assaults of at least four journalists during a peaceful sit-in in Al-Bireh city (Hafez Sabra the reporter of Ro’ya Jordanian TV, Mohammad Shusheh director and cameraman of Ro’ya TV, the reporter of Wattan TV Ahmad Mulhem, reporter of Palestine today TV Jihad Ibrahim Barakat, besides, launching tear gas bombs, and attempts to prevent journalists from covering the sit-in. The Palestinian security services carried out four arrests/ detention against journalists (Louay Tayseer Shalaldeh reporter of Shehab agency and Al-Quds network from Sa’er, reporter of Al-Quds Radio station in Tulkarm Sameh Mahmoud Manasrah, reporter of Al Orobah network and Shehab agency in Hebron Amer Abdulhakim Abu Arafeh, and a media student in Birzeit University Bara’ Mahmoud Al-Qadi what was exposed to inhuman treatment that may amount to torture, while he was detained and interrogated by the Palestinian Preventive security.
Violation in details:
(01/03)- Israeli occupation Forces stormed the sub-branch of Ibn Khaldun printing and publishing house, destroyed and confiscated most of its contents, leaving vast damages and losses. The owner of the printing house, Abdul Rahim Abdullah Badawi, (73 years) reported to MADA, “ IOF stormed Ibn Khaldoun printing house on Wednesday 01/03, around 01:00 am, in Shweika /Tulkarm, around (20-25) IOF raided the printing house in Shweika, I headed to the printing house after receiving a phone call by the neighbors, after I arrived IOF prevented me from getting out of the car through using arm forces, They cut the wires of the surveillance cameras and broke all the computers they also confiscated all memory desks. They left the place around 2:30 am and went from there to the other branch of the printing house in Tulkarem, to repeat what they did; they destroyed the surveillance cameras, computers and all the existing machines leaving huge amounts of losses”
He also added “ it quite hard to estimate the losses at present due to the huge amount of destruction, besides, the fact of disruption the work of at least 35 media workers to indefinite period to due to sabotage of the printing presses in our branches both in Shweika and Tulkarm".
(02/03)-IOF raided Al- Duzan printing house in Dheisheh refugee camp south of Bethlehem and confiscated many machinery and equipment and shut it down. The owner of the printing house, Hassan Adel Faraj (35 year) reported to MADA center” At around 02:00 am, I received a phone call from my neighbors near the printing house, informing me that IOF are presented near the printing house in Deheisheh refugee camp, I headed immediately to the place and opened the door of the printing press upon the IOF request“.
He also added “IOF confiscated a machine for printing t-shirts, and another printing machine, they handed me a paper listing all equipment confiscated, besides, an order of shutting it down, until 16/04/2017, under the pretext of publishing “inciting materials” as prisoners photos, which incite against state of Israel”
He also added “The value of the confiscated equipment is estimated about 300,000 shekels, they also asked me to meet them on Sunday (5/3) and communicate with them to reach an agreement only if we sign a commitment not to provide services for terrorist parties, to return all confiscated items, and reopen the printing house, that was shut with wooden boards on the doors”.
(3/3) Palestinian TV correspondent in Qalqilya Ahmad Abdel Malik Ibrahim Othman / Shawer (30 years) was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head fired by IOF during his coverage of the peaceful weekly demonstration against settlements in Kafr Qaddum, they also forced him to delete photos he took with his cellphone, he reported to MADA” while I was covering the peaceful weekly march of Kafr Qaddum against settlements on Friday afternoon (2/3) IOF attacked the peaceful march as usual, while I was taking some photos on my mobile three Israeli soldiers attacked me and forced me to unlock my cellphone and delete all captured photos and to move from the place, but I resumed covering, meanwhile I was shot with a rubber bullet in my forehead by the IOF, I was taken by ambulance to the Darwish Nazzal Governmental Hospital in (Tulkarm) where I stayed for a whole night to receive treatment and left the hospital the next afternoon”.
(3/3)- IOF targeted crew of Palestine TV with gas bombs and rubber bullets while covering a solidarity march with the prisoner Jamal Abu Leil at Qalandiya refugee camp, where Palestine TV correspondent Ali Dar Ali reported to MADA (34 years) "me and my colleague lofty Aljaghub the cameraman (30 years) headed to cover the peaceful march organized in Qalandia in solidarity with the Jerusalemite prisoner Jamal Abu al- Leil, who is on hunger strike in Israeli jails since 15 days, to prepare a television report on solidarity with the prisoner Abu Leil, while I was preparing an interview with a guest, I was surprised with the IOF deliberately targeting us with tear gas bombs , which led to our withdrawal and moved from the checkpoint until we reached the Israeli control tower, there we were targeted for the second time with rubber bullets noting that we were the only TV crew in the place”.
(03/03)- IOF and settlers attacked a group of journalists while covering a march against the settlement in the village of Nabi Saleh Ramallah governorate, where, according to journalist Rasha Herzallah (30 years) correspondent of "Wafa" agency reported to MADA "on Friday afternoon center (3 / 3) I was near the water spring in the village of Nabi Saleh to cover a march against the settlements. then the settlers started to attack us and Cursing and one of them threw my mobile phone on the ground and pushed me so strongly so I fell on the ground, IOF started firing us with stun grenade directly towards me and my colleague photographer of Anatolia press agency Issam Rimawi, photographer of AFP Abbas Momani and Mohamad Turkman Reuters photographer”.
(06/03)- the Palestinian intelligence service summoned Qutaiba Saleh Kassem (28 years), from Bethlehem and interrogated him about his publications on Facebook, as he reported to MADA "I was summoned by The Palestinian intelligence service in Bethlehem through an official warrant sent to my home a day earlier to interrogate me on March 6, and when I went I was in a state of exhaustion and fatigue as I had an operation in my eye.”
He added that "the interrogation focused on the period in which I was detained in the Israeli occupation prisons (10-29/12/2016) and did not address my work in media they set another date for an interview on 20/3/2017 I went and was investigated for about two hours that merely focused on my publications on Facebook, especially, that I published on Facebook their previous call for summon I received and I mentioned that I was a former prisoner in Israel, but for my work in media it was not mentioned, though I consider myself as writer and I do not work in favor for any party”.
(07/03)- Israeli Occupation Police arrested the correspondent and photographer in “Al Quds Forum” and “Palestine Events”, Mohammad Ismael Al Batroukh (28 years) as his father reported to MADA “Israeli Occupation Police arrested Mohammad in Jerusalem in the evening of 07/03 while he was leaving work, they also extended his detention twice before postponing his trial for the third time till 29/04 where they were supposed to present the list of indictment against him as we were informed by the lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Mr. Mohamed Mahmoud”.
(07/03)- IOF attacked a group of journalists with stun grenades besides preventing them from covering a demonstration organized in Ramallah as Rasha Herzallah (30 years) correspondent of WAFA press agency reported to MADA “ on 07/03 we headed to cover a demonstration organized in Ramallah near Offer detention center to protest the assassination of Basil Al Araj, all journalists were gathered away from the protesters, IOF deliberately shot stun grenades towards my colleagues Jihad Barakat correspondent of Palestine today channel , and the photographer in the same channel Shady Zmaareh, were another soldier approached towards us and directly shot a stun grenade towards us, particularly, near me and my colleague the cameraman of AFP Abbas Moumini, and then they started chasing us in the military enclave until they almost ran over the Imad Iseed cameraman of Xinhua press agency”.
She also added “afterwards one of the soldiers deliberately targeted me with a tear gas bomb, and banned all journalists from coverage after threatening they would deal with us by force if we do not go leave”.
(11/03)-Palestinian Preventive Security Service arrested Lu'ai Tayseer Shalaldeh,(26 years), a correspondent for Shahab and Al-Quds network from his home in the town of Sa'ir, and detained him for four days (he was released on March 15) were they summoned him again and interrogated him regarding what he publishes as he reported to MADA”. "I received a formal call a month ago to meet with the Preventive Security Service but I did not go. On 11/03 around 10:30 am, I was arrested from my house in the town of Sa'ir in Hebron, as jeep arrived with 6 personnel of the preventive security and tried to break in the house and search based on a search warrant by the public prosecutor but I did not allow them hence, I was arrested and transferred to the headquarters of the security services In the city of Hebron. "
He also added “I was interrogated there several times, under the pretext of receiving money from illegitimate parties, thus, I started a hunger strike for the first three days, on the fourth day I was presented before Halhoul court, the judge sentenced me free sentenced, and released me on bail (1000JD) conditionally paid in case I do not present myself after any future summon. On (18/03) I was summoned again by the preventive security service, I was interrogated on the backs of the breaking news I post on Facebook, claiming that they are many, they interrogator tried to attack me several times during the interrogation and threatened to arrest me in case I revealed the details of my interrogation. I remained under detention there from 10:00am to 04:00pm then I was released”.
(12/03)- Police and security servants attacked at least 4 journalists with beatings, pepper spray, and tear gas, whilst covering a peaceful assembly organized in front of Al-Bireh courts complex, besides the injury of other journalists with suffocation and preventing others from covering the demonstration.
As the reporter of Palestine today in Ramallah Jihad Barakat (26years) reported to MADA "I was presented before the Ramallah Magistrate's Court (in al-Bireh) in order to cover the sit-in that took place there in protest against the trial of the martyr Basel Al Araj and his companions the security forces came to disperse this sit-in on the grounds that the closure of the street is forbidden and they fired tear gas and pepper bombs at the demonstrators and the press crews. A group identified itself as a general intelligence, preventing us from covering the sit-in by trying to take the camera from the crew of Palestine today by force, which led to their breaking, as they forced us to leave the place. "
He also added “in the meantime and right in front of my eyes, security personnel attacked my colleague the reporter of Ro’ya TV and the reporter of Wattan TV Ahmad Mulhem with beatings”.
Moreover, the journalist Abu Sabra was subjected to excessive use of force by the Palestinian Police presented their, it was documented in a video.[1]
According to Mohammad Radi Shousha, (34years), photographer and director of Ro’ya channel, reported to MADA "During the coverage of the demonstration, one of the security personnel came wearing civilian clothes and tried to take the camera from me. When I refused to give it to him, he beat me with his hands and batons, especially on my back. The same channel reporter Hafez Abu Sabra come toward us to help me, they also hit him in the same way. "
Ahmad Abd Al-Afou Mulhim (32years) reporter of Wattan TV "I wanted to help my colleagues from the Ro’ya channel when they were attacked and I tried to intervene to remove them from the hands of the security forces. I was beaten with batons on my back and on my right leg, which led to its redness and swelling”.
(12/03)- Israeli occupation forces detained the correspondent of the Hebron news agency and the TRT photographer, Musab Ibrahim Said (26years) , after raiding and searching and confiscating some of the belongings from his house in Birzeit northern Ramallah, as his mother reported to MADA “a troop of Israeli forces and intelligence at around 02:00 in the morning of 12/03 stormed our house in Birzeit, they destructed the main gate and all other doors heading to my son’s apartment around 20 agents entered the place, they entered the bedroom while my son and his wife were still sleeping, they searched the apartment accurately and confiscated his Personal Laptop in addition to two cellphones, before they arrested him and forced him to leave the house without allowing him to wear a jacket”.
She added, “we learned he is now in Askalan interrogation center, as the lawyer of the prisoners club Fadi Al Qawasmi informed us they extended his detention to 8 days till Monday 20/03 and then they will hold a trial but then we also learned that his trial was postponed till 28/03”.
(13/03)-Israeli occupation forces and police arrested the editor of Al-Quds newspaper Mohammed Abd Rabbo, 55 years , and interrogated when he crossed the checkpoint of the military army at the entrance to al-Bireh, known as the "DCO checkpoint as he reported to MADA " On 13/3, while I was returning from work through the DCO checkpoint a female soldier started checking my ID, started insulting and cursing me and threw the ID on the ground claiming it is fake, a quarrel between us started, the police arrived handcuffed me and arrested me, I was deported to the Binyamin police station (in a settlement near the village of Jaba) and there I was detained and interrogated for three hours and then released me at around 7pm They took me to the entrance of the settlement of Benjamin, knowing that my car remained at a checkpoint of the military DCO where I was arrested, going all the way to bring my car needs a private car or transportation, due to the fact that it involves access to the area to bring my car, especially in this time a great danger as the soldiers could open fire on anyone approaching the barrier ".
(13/03)- Israeli Occupation intelligence and forces raided the house of the program announcer in Radio Four Hebron, Ali Abdulkarim Alewiwi (28 years) twice and summoned him for interrogation twice as he reported to MADA “at around 03:00am of 13/03 a troop of IOF and intelligence raided my house in Hebron and handed me a summon for interrogation on 16/03 at Attsyoun (settlements complex near Bethlehem) and when I presented myself on time, they postponed it to 21/03, the same night of 21/03 a troop of Israeli intelligence raided our house for the second time, and handed me another summon written with the same day on, and when I complied and arrived I stayed for interrogation for two hours meanwhile the officer asked me about my work, and what are my future plans after I was released from prison last December, and then they released me”.
(14/03) Israeli occupation forces raided the house of freelance photojournalist Barakat Hosni al-Azar (27 years) in the village of Qablan in Nablus province, at night and confiscated his phantom flying camera. Al-Azar said "A force from the occupation army raided my house at 3:00 am on Tuesday (14/3). My house is located in the village of Qablan in Nablus Governorate. The raid was headed by an Israeli intelligence service officer. He asked me several questions about my work and place. He also asked me about my phantom flying camera and asked me to hand it to him although I told him that it is legal and that part of its cost is still due for the UN, following a previous agreement between us, yet he refused to hand it back to me and insisted on confiscating it knowing that I applied for funding from the United Nations Fund for work in the filming an initiative on the Palestinian villages”.
He also added “this camera approximately cost 6000NIS, and there are similar cameras in all the West Bank around 200 similar cameras, I contacted the Palestinian journalists syndicate to return it back through the Palestinian liaison office, but until 02/04, I did not manage to receive it back”.
(14/03)Mahmoud Nemer Hreibat, 33years, a radio programmer in Raya FM, and a specialist in social media sites in the Prime Minister's Office, was subjected to death threats and an extensive incitement and defamation process following the forging of a Facebook page on his behalf and the publication of a text attacking the residents of Yatta which subjected him to real threats, as he reported to MADA “ I was surprised this afternoon (14-3-2017) with a fake publication of a fictional account on Facebook in my name, which was published with the link of my real page, attacking the people of Yatta in Hebron (my town) cursing them and provoking them”.
He added “In addition to this publication, a text was published saying that I support the statements of Jibril Rajoub, which was published two days ago and described the people of Yatta as backwards and undeveloped. This forged account distributed the leaflet on several pages of Yatta, and a large campaign spread against me, I also received threats by killing, as well as insulting my family and I”.
He added” It is difficult in this case to convince all the residents of the town that I did not publish anything that harms them or the town and that it was a forgery," Hreibiyat said. "I filed a formal complaint with the police and the electronic crimes department in the police.
(14/03)- Israeli Occupation Forces arrested a media student (in his third year) from Al-Najah University, Asem Moustafa Ali Ahmad ( 20 years) from his house in Nablus where his father reported to MADA “ Asem was arrested from our house that is located in Al-Ma’ajeen neighborhood western of Nablus, and he is now detained in Majjedo detention center, they extended his detention three times for a week each, on 03/04 the last extension ends, and supposedly a list of conviction will be provided against him regards his activities in the university as a student, according to the lawyer of the prisoners club Moustafa Al-Azmouti”.
(18/03)- the videographer of WAFA agency in Hebron Mashhour Hassan Wahwah (33years) was injured with a tear gas bomb in his chest shot by IOF while he was covering a funeral for a martyr in Al-Aroub refugee camp, as he reported to MADA”on 18/03 we headed to cover the funeral of a martyr in Al-Aroub refugee camp, after the funeral ended a clashed between Palestinian youth and IOF took place, where I was deliberately targeted with a tear gas bomb in the chest, I did not face severe harm as by that time I was wearing the press jacket but I fainted due to inhaling the gas I received field therapy”.
He also added “ they also targeted my colleague’s car the photographer of trans-media agency with a tear gas bomb, but he was not injured “.
(19/03)-Palestinian Intelligence service stopped the reporter of Al-Quds radio station Sameh Mahmoud Mohammad Abdallah Manasra (30 years) and interrogated him and resummoned him three more times, as he reported to MADA “ I headed on Sunday 19/03 to the headquarters of the Palestinian General Intelligence in Tulkarem to meet them, following a call I received the other day, when I arrived to the headquarter I was subjected to a one hour interrogation regarding the coverage of the funeral of the martyr Basel Al-Araj and the type of relation I have with Khader Adnan, and my work as a journalist with Al-Quds radio station and the amount of my salary and how it is transferred”.
He also added “after the interrogation session I was presented for the medical examination as an initial step before my imprisonment and recording me a prisoner and transfere me to the cell, but beforehand I was subjected to another interrogation that lasted for an hour and a half, afterwards I was transferred to the cell, where I remained there till the third interrogation session, where they informed me that I will be released under one condition to present myself the second day at 09:00 am I was released the same afternoon of Sunday 19/03”.
He also added “ on the other day 20/03 I headed on time to the general intelligence headquarter, they required my University degree, which I did not bring, they gave me till 22/03 Wednesday to bring it, for personal reasons I did not manage to submit it on time, I also I could not find the certificate, then they asked to provide them with a bank statement that shows all transactions, I brought one for last 6 months transactions, I was interrogated till the afternoon, when they released me and asked me to present myself once again on Tuesday 04/04”.
(20/03)- Israeli Occupation Forces arrested a female media student Atabrak Ibrahim Yahia (21 years) as he mother Fatima Mohammad Yahia reported to MADA “on the evening of Monday 20/03 around 18:00pm, my daughter Astabrak was arrested from the ladies dorm in Birzeit, and now she is detained in Hasharoun detention center, they hold a trial after her arrest with three day on Thursday 23/03, meanwhile they extended her detention for 8 days to continue the investigation, they postponed the next trial from 30/03 till 05/04”.
(21/03)- Palestinian Preventive Security arrested the report of Ouruba media agency and the SHEHAB press agency Amer Abdulhakim Abu Arafeh (33 years) from his place in Hebron for two days, they interrogated him regarding his work a journalist and confiscated some of his electronic devices as he reported to MADA “a strength of PPSS stormed (A TOTAL OF 5- civil dressed ) my house at around 11:00 am of Tuesday 21/03 and asked me to hand my personal computer, cellphone, camera and it memory card, they forgot to confiscate the memory card, I was transferred with them to the headquarters of the preventive security in Hebron, where they directly entered me to a cell, and I remained detained till 21:00pm, then they started interrogating me regarding my previous arrests by Israel in 2003 that lasted four years , and my administrative detention in 2011, then they sent me back to the cell, a legal consultant showed up and repeated the same questions and I replied the same as before, only added that I am a journalist and work at Shehab and Ouruba news agencies, I signed the testimony I reported without any problems”
He also adde “ after 20 minutes I was deported to Hebron prosecution, and when I informed them that I am a journalist, someone there asked me about the head of journalists in Hebron, who is Jehad Al-Qawasmi,he called him and asked if I am a member in the journalists syndicate, he informed that is it obligatory that Jihad must send an official documents that states I am a member in the syndicate, as my current work at Shehab News irritated the legal consultant that I incite against the Palestinian security forces when I asked me what exactly is my charge, he replied that I covered a demonstration In Hebron organized by the liberation part and I documented the oppression of the demonstration by the security servants, I replied that I did not cover this demonstration, and that I did not at all attend the demonstration, they transferred me back to my cell, and then I was transferred to the cybercrimes department, where the officer their tried to hack my facebook account right infront of me, and he failed, they hacked two personal e-mails of mine and changed the passwords, on Wednesday 22/03 after they called one of the supervisors in the Journalists Syndicate in Hebron Jihad Al-Qawasmi they promised that I will be released by 15:00pm,but I remained under detaintion till 19:00 until they released me, while they continued trying to hack my Facebook and personal computer”.
(23/03)- Israeli Occupation Forces raided two branches of Al-Nahdah Printing house in Tulkarem and Shweka searched and confiscated many of the devices and the belongings, which hindered it to perform operating, rather than all incurred losses approximately millions of shekels, as the owner of the printing house Muhannad Hassan Abu Saleh (44years) reported to MADA “ a strength of IOF (around 100 soldiers) around 01:30 am of 23/03 stormed my house that is located in Shweka in Tulkarem, and demanded me to open the branch of the printing house in Shweka without showing a search warrant, I opened the door of the printing house that is around 700meters space, and has two floors I remained outside while they continued searching it for almost two hours”.
He also added” when they left they asked me to sign a paper listing all belongings they confiscated when I refused because I did not witness any of the destruction they left inside, it was listed in the document they showed me that they confiscated checks, notebooks, and my personal cellphone, and some hard-desks, and other parts of the machines (similar to operating cards) that the machines wont operate without them, then they asked me to go with them to the other branch in Tulkarem with their jeep, they destructed the front door and stormed the printing house, confiscated hard-drives and operating cards of the machines before they left, when I asked the officer about the reasons of this whole procedure, he replied that I am danger person, it is hard for me to state the amount of destruction the left which is approximately millions of shekels due to the stop of operating and hindered the ability of workers to perform as there are 17 workers in both printing houses; 12 in Shweka and 5 in Tulkarem”.
(24/03)- the videographer of associated press Nasser Hasan Shyoukhi suffocated and fainted after being targeted and other number of journalists with tear gas bombs by IOF while covering a demonstration in Al-Mughyer village as he reported to MADA “at around 12:00PM of 24/03 we headed to cover a demonstration organized in the east of Al-Mughyer village in Ramallah governorate, to protest the establishing a new settlement is the area, after a while IOF attacked the demonstrators to disperse them, although by that time we were standing in a somehow far place, and despite the fact that we were clearly wearing the press vests and holding all equipment that shows were journalists yet we were deliberately targeted with tear gas bombs, I got suffocated and fainted, and due to the fact that there were ambulance in the area I received field medical treatment “.
(27/03)- IOF raided the family house of the Palestinian cartoonist Osama Nawaf Nazzal, 34years , in the village of Kafr Naama, west of Ramallah, they entered his studio in the house, destroying it and confiscating all the drawings in it, as he reported to MADA "The foot force of the Israeli army stormed the house at 3:00 am In Kafr Naama village. They detained all the family members in one room. They entered my atelier, destroyed it and confiscated all the drawings. They wanted to arrest my younger brother to show them where I live, as a year ago I moved to Ramallah. But they did not arrest him after they received a phone call and they left the place around 05:00 am”.
(27/03)-Palestinian preventive security service in Ramallah detained a media student in Birzeit University Bara’ Mahmoud AlQadi (24 years) and subjected him to interrogation that involved beating and ill-treatment while detained as he reported to MADA “ before I was detained in 10 days or so preventive security forces were presented at my house in Al-Bireh city, by that time I was not in the house and they informed my family that I should present myself at their headquarters without setting a date, I also received several phone calls from their part requesting me to present myself to their headquarters and persuading me that I will not get arrested there, on 19/03 they presented themselves to my house and handed me an official written summon to review them the other day 20/03, but I did not comply, but I went on 27/03 thinking that I will leave on the same day as they promised but they detained me for 24 hours under interrogation”.
He added “I was interrogated by one during the day, and two other interrogation session in the night, most of the questions revolved on my activities in the university particularly that I am the head of the media club in the university, and about the youth motion, one of the interrogators at nights punched me twice in the stomach, during the night they took the mattress from the room I was detained in and forced me to take off my jacket, and kept all the windows open”.
He also added “on the other day 28/03 around 16:00 I was released after they finished interrogating me, the interrogator informed that he will call me if they want anything in future but I replied that I will not comply unless they provided an official summon”.
(28/03)-Palestinian Preventive security service summoned the program announcer in MARAH radio station and the journalist in Arab weekly British newspaper Mohammad Saeed Khalil Abu Juheisha (32 years) as he reported to MADA “I was summoned by the preventive security service in Hebron but I did not comply”.
