Ramallah – 3rd May 2012: World Press Freedom Day arrives during hard times lived and experienced by Palestinian journalists, who are still struggling to achieve the freedom of words and images and are challenging  all the exhausted ongoing attempts to silence them, through the continues violations on their rights and against the Palestinian media. This day comes as a good occasion to shed light on the difficult reality of media freedoms through which journalists have to practice their work.

Mr. Moussa Rimawi the general director of the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) stated that the center has monitored 82 violations against media freedoms in Palestine this year so far, which marks a13 violations increase compared to the same period last year, during which MADA monitored 69 violations. 

Rimawi also pointed out that the pace of the violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces IOF since the beginning of the year reached 59, compared with 42 violations during the same period in 2012. This year violations by the IOF included dangerous violations, such as Mohamed Alaza, the Palestinian News Network PNN cameraman, who was injured in the face, in addition to detaining and arresting journalists and targeting them with rubber bullets and Gas bombs. 

Rimawi added that at the time where we commend the persistence and determination of all colleagues, especially in Jerusalem and Hebron where most of the Israeli Occupation violations were committed, we also call on the international community to take powerful stances toward the Israeli violations and hold the aggressors responsible.

Rimawi also stated that the ongoing Occupation violations must not allow us to forget the reality of media freedoms in the West Bank and Gaza, where different Palestinian sides had committed 23 violations against journalists since the beginning of this year; most were committed in January in the Gaza strip, which is undergoing deep media freedoms crises. 

Rimawi added that even though the number of Palestinian violations in the West Bank has declined, their nature formed a serious concern by MADA center and organizations which care about Human rights and freedoms. Controlling social media and following journalists, prosecuting them, and sentencing them for expressing their opinions is rejected by all international and local standards and rights, which explicitly guaranteed the freedom of expression in all its forms in article 19 of the Palestinian Basic Law. 

On this day, the World Press Freedom Day, MADA center demands all Palestinian sides concerned, to take serious steps in order to enhance the right to freedom of opinion and expression in Palestine, and to prohibit all violations against journalists, by speeding the process of enacting a serious of media laws appropriate in the current century and in line with international standards. The most important law to be enacted is the Right to Access Information Law, newly drafted and presented by MADA to the Council of Ministers at the end of last year. We also emphasize on the importance of ending the Fatah-Hamas division and holding aggressors on media freedoms accountable.   

Mr. Rimawi in the name of MADA center would like to present the warmest congratulations and blessings for Palestinian journalists on this occasion, and heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs of journalists. Rimawi also congratulates journalists in the world, who in their turn continue the battle for the freedom of opinion and expression, and hopes to celebrate this occasion next year with significant and wider media freedoms achieved, and without the presence of any of our fellow journalists in Israeli jails.