Ramallah - 18/11/2021 The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) condemns the continued detention of journalist Alaa El-Din Al-Mashharawi, director of Al-Mashreq News Electronic Corporation, by the security services in the Gaza Strip since Sunday 31 October.

A force from the Internal Security Agency in the Gaza Strip had arrested the 53-year-old journalist, Alaa El-Din Al-Mashhrawi, at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday (31/10) while he was on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street in the center of Gaza City.

Nabil Al-Mashhrawi, brother of journalist Alaa Al-Din, reported that the force arrested Alaa Al-Din in Ansar Central Prison, broke into his house and confiscated phones and laptops.

After a phone call from the journalist Al-Mashhrawi to his family, it appeared that the investigation with him had ended since Wednesday 10/11, as he was investigated on charges of “communicating with hostile parties” without any charges being proven against him. 

 Al-Mashhrawi is now in the detainees’ prison in the Ansar Central Prison of the Internal Security Agency, and as he told his family, his release is contingent upon the completion of legal procedures only.”

MADA Center requests for the urgent and unconditional release of journalist Al-Mashhrawi, who has been detained for 16 days.

The center also renews its demand to stop all attacks on media freedoms and journalists, and calls the competent authorities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to allow journalists to work freely without any harassment, and to hold their aggressors accountable.