RAMALLAH, November 2017, witnessed a number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine, almost identical to those recorded in the previous few months, in September and October, a total of 26 and 28 violations against media freedoms were monitored by MADA, 26 attacks last November. The Israeli occupation carried out 16 attacks, while Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip committed a total of 10 violations.
Israeli violations
The Israeli occupation has committed a total of 16 attacks against media freedoms during last November, some of which fall under serious violations. The most prominent of these is the decision by an Israeli military court to imprison the broadcasters of the "Sanabel" radio from the city of Hebron: Muntasir Abdel-Karim Nassar, Nidal Amro were sentenced to 22 months in prison and a fine of 5,000 NIS and Mr. Omran was sentenced to 16 months.
The decision came after months of detention, when Sanabel was raided on August 31, 2016, and its equipments were confiscated under the reason of "receiving money from Hamas".
While the charge of incitement was the most prominent, which was directed to the three journalists Nassar, Amro and Omran, which shows the difference between what was said during the raiding and confiscation of the radio equipment and between the closure and the arrest of a number of workers and sent to trial later.
In addition to the trial of these journalists, the Israeli occupation forces detained two journalists during the past month. They also detained a group of journalists and staff of seven media organizations for several hours, preventing them from covering a peaceful march against the settlements.
Palestinian violations
Last November, a total of 10 violations were committed by Palestinian authorities (two in the West Bank and eight in the Gaza Strip).
The most prominent of these was the decision by the Palestinian Ministry of Information to prevent the journalist Reem Al-Omari from keeping her position as director of Ahla FM local radio station and demanding that she has to be removed because the Ministry of Interior affairs refused to approve her as a director for reasons that were no explained. This violates the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law.
journalists working in 8 different Palestinian and foreign media outlets were attacked and where prevented from covering the anniversary of the death of President Yasser Arafat that was held in Gaza, and the only media institution that was able to cover this occasion was Palestine TV , although all the journalists had advanced permits to cover this occasion. In addition an indirect threat was directed to an employer by the Palestinian intelligence to lay off a media student who works for him.
Details of violations
(1/11) The Israeli occupation forces arrested the journalist Bushra Jamal Al-tawil (24 years) who works at Aneen al qaid network. They also confiscated some money from her house after they searched it and they also destroyed many things in the house. Bushras mother reported to MADA, A force from the Israeli army stormed our house in al-Bireh city in the early morning on the first of November, After the officer entered the house, he said: "I have a surprise Bushra is coming with us and when we asked the officer why? he got mad, and started shouting saying give me your gold and cash that you have, When we did not respond to them, they went into Bushras bedroom and vandalized it hysterically and took the money that she owned. The officer wasn’t satisfied and he was asking about the gold, we responded that Bushra doesn't have any gold , they left the house after 45 minutes taking Bushra and the money.
Bushras mothers also added that the money that the Israeli occupation forces took was a loan that Bushra took from the Ministry of detainees and Ex- detainees affairs to open a women's photography studio.
Bushras mother said that Bushra was sentenced on the 5th of November for 6 months administrative detention , and in the next day, the period was reduced from six to four months after an official document was issued by ministry of detainees and Ex- detainees affairs confirming that the money confiscated by the soldiers from her room was a loan from the ministry to finance a small business project, and it's not related to any terrorist activities as the Israeli forces stated. (Bushra now is in hasharon prison).
(3/11) Israeli occupation forces detained at least 9 journalists for several hours and prevented them from covering the Kufor Qaddum anti-settlement march, Where the photographer of the AFP Jaafar Zahid Eshtia 45 years said that on the 3/11 All the press crews who went to cover the weekly Kafr Qaddum march against the settlements were detained after confiscating their identity cards from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm on Friday afternoon.
Eshtia said him and Alaa Badarneh the photographers of EPA, the Wafa agency photographer Ayman Nobani, the Antolia photographer Nidal Eshtia, and also the freelancer photographers Mohammad Tarabi, Ahmed Talat Hassan and also the Palestinian TV crew Ayman al-Harash and two cameramens. We were released and the soldiers returned our IDs to us at 3:00 pm, after the march was over.
(11/11) Palestinian security services in Gaza Strip prevented journalists from covering the memorial festival to commemorate the death of predent Yaser Arafat, they only allowed Palestine TV crew to cover, noting that, they previously issued badges for journalists to cover.
Prevention of coverage coincided with inhumane treatment that included assaults, profanities for at least 14 journalists from 8 different (Palestinian and international) media outlets.
The videographer of AFP in Gaza Mahmoud Ibrahim Al-Humos (3 years) reported to MADA “at around 11:30 of 11/11 afternoon I was presented near the Saraya square in Gaza to cover the festival commemorating the martyrdom of Yaser Arafat, the square was packed with security personnel, who banned all journalists from entering the square of the festival, they asked us to head to the main entrance of the square, they treated all journalists disrespectfully and directed them with profanities, and pushed them to prevent them from coverage, they only allowed the crew of Palestine TV to enter and cover the event, I left the square around 12:30pm without covering the event”.
He added “ I watched some of the journalists including ( Albdulnaser Abu Oun correspondent of Almanar Chanel with two other videographers, and Ahmad Ghabayen the videographer and correspondent Abdallah Miqdad of Ma’an TV,Akram Daloul from Palestine Today Chanel, Correspondent of Dunia Al Wattan website Mohammad Awad with two other videographers and Mustafa Hassouneh correspondent of Anatolia Agency”.
The videographer of Palestine Today Chanel Daoud Nimer Abu Kas (25 years), reported to MADA” I arrived to the place at around 12:40 after I was prevented by security personnel to let me in, I moved forward till I reached Mo’men AlShobaki photographer of Palestine TV, but he reacted nervously and said this place is ours and we do not want anyone to cover from here, he pushed me away with the help of security personnel, and got me down, I left around 13:00pm “.
Abdalla Issa Miqdad (33 years) the correspondent of Ma’an news agency reported to MADA “ at around 11:00am we headed to the Sraya Square and tried to enter from all entrances but each time we were prevented until we arrived to the front entrance that faces the platform, as one of the security personnel told us “this entrance is only from VIP”, hence, I headed to another entrance and presented myself and handed them my press card that I received from Fateh Commission to cover the festival, but the security prevented me and refused to deal with me at all, at that point security personnel gathered and started directing us with profanities and asked me to leave the place, I left around 11:45am, as the officer was clear that the only crew allowed to cover the festival are only Palestine TV”.
He also added “I was surprised that many of my colleagues were assaulted and pushed including (Dawood Abu Qas the vidiographer of Palestine Today, Hatem Silmi photographer of 24 news, and the cameraman assistant in Al Ghad Alarabi and Mahmoud Al- Ajrami BBC videographer”.
(12/11) The Palestinian intelligence service demanded an employer to lay off of the media journalist at An-Najah University, Mariam Ahmed Shawahneh, 21 years, who writes for Quds News and Ultra Palestine, following an article she wrote on political arrests, as she reported to MADA “I wrote two weeks ago an article on political arrests by the Palestinian Authority in particular, detainees that are hold under the custody of the governor. On 12/11
The head of the Ahli Qalqilya club (I work as a trainer in the club) told me that the Palestinian intelligence had summoned him on the report I wrote and that it was against the authority and they do not want anyone from Hamas in the Club, although he informed them that I am committed with a contract until the end of December 2017, yet they replied that I should commit to not criticize the authority in my writings”.
(16-11) Israeli intelligence forces arrested the Turkish Anatolia Agency photographer Mustafa al-Nazir Ayad al-Kharouf (30 years) from his home in Jerusalem. Al-Kharouf reported to MADA “I was arrested from my house in Jerusalem city at 10 am by the Israeli intelligence forces, after confiscating my cell phone and without any search of the house. They told me that I was detained and they took me to police station section 4, where I remained in detention until 3:30 pm. During this time, I was subjected to verbal abuse by police officers, who threatened me more than once with deportation from Israel, since my family unification treatment had not yet been completed and still in the Israeli Ministry of the Interior. From time to time, a police officer reminded me that I was in the country illegally and accused me of planning to carry out terrorist plans against the State of Israel”.
He added: "At about 4:00 AM, the investigator came and introduced himself and told me he would investigate me, and that my charge was to plan a hostile act against Israel and that my presence inside the State of Israel was illegal, and gave me the right to contact a lawyer and asked me to respond to the charges against me. I told him that I’m waiting for the legal proceedings to be completed on my family unification file. I have a paper proving that I am married and have a daughter, and I never think of any terrorist act. Then he went to talk about Facebook and that I was inciting through my publications. I told him that I had closed my Facebook account a year ago”.
He also said: “The interrogation lasted for an hour and a half. The interrogator then told me that I was detained. I was transferred to (Maskoubia detention) and in the next morning I was brought to the court. The charges against me have been changed to contacting with hostile parties of the State of Israel. Also my illegal presence in Israel has been denied since the beginning of the hearing, and I have been charged with illegal contact with hostile parties. After reviewing the file, the judge referred to it as mere suspicion and said that there was no need to arrest me and that the investigation could be completed without arrest but with bail. I was released at 12:00 PM on an unpaid bail of NIS 10,000, and another paid for NIS 3000. My mobile phone was left with them and I was handed a summons to return on Sunday 19/11. When I went to the interview I waited for 4 hours. Then they took my fingerprints and left. But I did not retrieve my mobile phone until 6-12-2017”.
(20/11)Israeli occupation forces arrested the freelance journalist Amjad Khalil Abu Arafa, (37 years) after they raided and searched his home in Doha/Bethlehem. His brother Mo’az said to MADA: “At 4:00 AM in (20-11) an occupation army force broke into my brother Amjad house in the Doha area of Bethlehem. Two masked men were with them, they entered the house and searched it as if they were looking for something specific, and they also searched Amjad's car and the car of one of his neighbors. They obviously did not find what they were looking for. They left the place about half an hour after they arrested Amjad”.
He also said in another statement: “On Wednesday 22/11 Amjad was brought to the court and his trial was adjourned until 29/11, although no charges were brought against him. The court extended his detention for another eight days”.
(22/11) The Palestinian Ministry of Information demand from (Ahla FM) Radio station, which broadcast from Ramallah, to change the current director of the radio, Reem Sherif Al-Omari, (34 years), because the Ministry of Interior refused to approve it for not explained reasons. It is believed that this is due to a critical program called (Samet Badan) which presented by Al-Omari. She reported to MADA: “Radio Ahla FM, which broadcasts from Ramallah, received an official letter from the Palestinian Ministry of Information on 22/10/2017 demanding the owner of the radio to change the Editing Director Reem Al-Omri within two weeks, because the Ministry of the Interior did not give the approval.
She added: “On 7/11/2017 representatives from the Ministry of Information came to the radio and asked us about the change required. We told them that we tried to communicate with the deputy minister of the Ministry of Information but he did not respond, and the result was a threat to stop broadcasting if we did not agree”.
(24/11) An Israeli military court sentenced the presenter’s on Sanabel Radio station Montasser Abdel Karim Nassar and his colleague Nidal Amr to 22 months in jail and pays a fine of 5,000 shekels each, and sentenced their third colleague Mohammed Akram Omran to 16 months in jail.
The wife of the journalist Montasser Nassar reported to MADA: “The Ofer Military Court of Israel held a session on November 24-11, during which Montasser Nassar and his colleague Nidal Amr were sentenced to 22 months in jail and a fine of NIS 5,000 each. Their sentences were adjourned until Wednesday, 29/11, until the court judge confirmed that the sentence was commensurate with the indictment. Their colleague Mohammed Akram Omran (also a radio presenter in Sanabel) was sentenced to 16 months in jail, and is expected to be released on Sunday 2/12/2017”.
She added: “They were charged with a 15-item indictment, the most important of which was the charge of first-degree incitement, which means Incitement to Murder. About their colleague’s Hamed al-Namoura and Ahmad al-Darwish the prosecution had demanded 30 months in jail, but so far no court has been formed.”
On 31/8/2016 The Israeli occupation army invaded the Sanabel radio in Hebron and broke up and confiscated its contents and shut it down for three months, they also arrested five employees, they were the broadcasting engineer Hamed Al-Namoura, radio director Ahmad Samih Darwish, presenters Montaser Mohammed Nassar, Nidal Omar and Mohammad and Akram Omran, who are still in detention.
It is interesting to note that the decision to close the Sanabel radio, which was stuck at its entrance after the raid, stipulates that it be closed for three months, claiming that the radio "receives money from Hamas" as stated in the military closure decision, while the charge of incitement was the most prominent against journalists who were detained.
