Ramallah – October 8, 2025 The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) held a hearing session titled “Journalist Arrests: Testimonies and Recommendations” on Monday, October 6, 2025, via Google Meet. The session was organized as part of the Engage Project, implemented by the Filastiniyat Association in partnership with An-Najah National University, funded by the European Union, with MADA participating as a third partner.
The session was attended by a number of journalists, representatives of media institutions and civil society organizations, and MADA’s legal advisor, MR. FERAS KARAJA, to hear the testimony of journalist EHAB AL-ALAMI, who had been detained for one month by the Palestinian General Intelligence Service.
The session opened with welcoming remarks from MS. SHIREEN AL-KHATIB, Acting Director of MADA, who emphasized the shared commitment to defending media freedom and journalists’ rights, which have recently witnessed a significant deterioration due to escalating violations by both the Israeli occupation and various Palestinian parties. These violations have negatively impacted journalists and society at large by restricting citizens’ right to access information.
MS. SUNDUS FAQIH, Director of the Engage Project, presented the project’s activities and interventions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including a soon-to-be-launched mobile application for reporting violations against journalists and human rights defenders. She explained that this hearing session is part of a series of upcoming sessions addressing the same topic.
Freelance journalist EHAB AL-ALAMI shared his live testimony about his arrest by the Palestinian Intelligence Service on charges of “weapon possession,” which lasted a full month and included physical assaults and torture through stress positions. He also spoke about the interrogation process and accusations of working with non-Palestinian organizations and pursuing foreign agendas. AL-ALAMI described the psychological, physical, and professional harm caused by his detention.
MR. FERAS KARAJA discussed the implications of journalist arrests and their threat to media work, referencing the Palestinian Basic Law, which upholds fundamental freedoms including freedom of opinion and expression. He highlighted legal violations often committed by security services during such arrests, noting that a detained journalist should not be held by for more than 24 hours, and that their statement should be recorded as a narrative in response to a single question: “What is your connection to the alleged charge?”
KARAJA also emphasized that the Public Prosecution must act as an impartial party, and that the charge of weapon possession against journalist AL-ALAMI should have been substantiated by actual seizure of the weapon, which did not occur.
Attendees raised several important questions related to their journalistic work, discussing mechanisms to protect themselves from arrests and other violations. They also contributed valuable insights drawn from their extensive experience in the media field.
At the conclusion of the session, a set of practical recommendations was presented to protect journalists and promote media freedom. These included the need to strengthen cooperation and solidarity among civil society, human rights, and media institutions to end arbitrary arrests of journalists, provide legal safeguards during their work, and enhance accountability within security agencies to prevent impunity for violations against media freedoms.
Participants also recommended that the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate intensify its efforts and fulfill its role in defending journalists and following up on their cases with official and human rights institutions, in order to ensure a safer environment for journalists and enable them to carry out their mission freely and without fear.
