Ramallah – 15/10/2025 – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms “MADA” expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of the arrest of journalist SAMI SAEED AL-SA’I (46 years old) by the Preventive Security Organization on Monday, October 13th, without clear reasons or presentation of an official arrest warrant.
According to AL-SA’I’s wife, AMANI AL-JUNDOB, who provided a statement to MADA Center, he was detained around 12:00 PM while present on one of the city streets and was taken to the Preventive Security headquarters in the city of Tulkarm.
Based on the legal unit’s follow-up at MADA Center, the journalist was brought before the Public Prosecution in Tulkarm on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, where he was interrogated on charges of “inciting sectarian strife” and “defamation of authority” due to his posts on social media.
The Public Prosecution referred the journalist to the Tulkarm Magistrate Court and requested extending his detention for 15 days. The court rejected MADA’s lawyer’s request to release him immediately, stating that the charges are politically motivated, constitute an assault on freedom of opinion and expression, and restrict journalists’ work. The court decided to extend his detention for 15 days to complete the investigation.
MADA Center demands the immediate release of journalist SAMI SAEED AL-SA’I and calls for an end to the policy of detaining journalists due to their opinions or publications, as this poses a serious threat to freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed by Palestinian law and international conventions. MADA affirms that press freedom and peaceful freedom of expression are fundamental pillars of any democratic society.
