Ramallah-MADA: The Palestinian center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) wrapped up today a two days training workshop in Ramallah on freedom of expression. This training course was conducted in cooperation with the Palestinian General Prosecution for prosecutors from different cities in the West Bank, and it comes in the framework of the project of defending freedom of expression and opinion through a healthy legal environment which is funded by the European Union.

MADA’s general director Mr. Mousa Rimawi opened the workshop welcoming all the prosecutors, then expressed that the workshop comes during hard times the Palestinian people are living; which affects freedom of expression. Besides, the continuous Israeli violations on the basic human rights; when two days ago, the world was celebrating the International day of human rights at the time Israel has killed the minister Ziad Abu Ein.

Rimawi also talked about the role MADA is playing in monitoring the violations against the journalists, as well as the center’s legal unit that defends the journalists and provides them with free legal consultancy. He also talked about the efforts the center is doing in order to enact the law of the right to access information and holding workshops for journalists and media freedoms, besides launching advocacy campaigns to promote for freedom of expression.

Rimawi said: “We praise the real development in the work of the general prosecution in building the capacities of the workers there as well as improving their work and consecrating the human rights.

On the other hand, the head of planning and policy management and the head of the general prosecution Mr. Yasser Hammad thanked MADA for conducting this workshop to discuss freedom of expression. Mr. Hammad said that it helps the prosecutors to be aware of the meaning and the essence of freedom of expression, its limits and the difference between it and the crimes of slander and defamation. He added that it is really important for them to be aware of all of these informations in implementing their work at the prosecution, especially in the issues that are related to the journalists.

Mr. Hammad emphasized that the base of the prosecutors work is defending the general and citizens’ rights; therefore it is important for them to know their own rights as prosecutors and the limits of freedom of expression.

The workshop lasted for two days and the participants discussed freedom of expression, the right to access information status in Palestine, as well as the legal regulation of media and journalism in Palestine and its effects on freedom of expression and opinion.