The violations against the journalists have continued in the Palestinian territories during last April, especially by the Israeli side, although its less than violations in March,. The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has monitored several violations were committed by the Israeli side, which are: firing at a group of journalists in Biet Lahiya in Gaza, the arrest of: AFP correspondent and cameraman Hazem Bader, Alhayat Aljadedah correspondent Muheeb Albarghouthi and Aljazeera crew (the cameraman Majdi Bannourah and the technical assistant Nadir Abu Zer). The Israeli also detained APA photographer Najeh Hashlamoun and prevented him from filming, and attacked the photographers of AFP Abbas Moumni and Associated press Mahfouz Abu Turk
Last April, MADA monitored three violations against journalists which were committed by the Palestinian side, which are: the freelance journalists Mustafa Sabri was summoned by the preventative security forces, Al-Najah Press office correspondent Samid Dwikat was arrested by security services in West Bank, and the newspaper “Alhayat Aljadedah “correspondent Nufouth Al-Bakri house was raided by individuals who said that they belonged to the Information Ministry in the dismissed government.
MADA is welcoming the positive statements of officials in Gaza and West Bank, related to freedom of expression, which coincided with the International Press Freedoms Day celebrities, especially the Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad who said: “the Press Freedoms is part of thehomeland freedom", MADA demands the Palestinian’s officials to be committed to adhere to these statements and apply them.
MADA center condemns once again all the violations against the journalists in the occupied Palestinian territories which are flagrant violations of the freedom of expression and access to information, and also emphasizes to its previous demands to stop, and to punish those responsible for it.
Details of violations:
(6. April) A group of journalists and demonstrators were fired at during a peaceful demonstration in the Attatra area in Beit Lahiya in Gaza Strip on Tuesday, 6 April 2010, By the Israeli occupation army. The BBC correspondent Shahdi Alkashif said that he went on Tuesday to cover weekly march organized by the Popular Committee against the Israeli occupation authorities banning entry of agricultural land in Attatra area in Beit Lahiya, and when the demonstrators reached the restricted area, the Israeli army came and began firing bullets on journalists and demonstrators. Alkashif added: “it was a very dangerous situation where the journalists were stuck between soldiers and demonstrators, and we were only 50 meters away from the Israeli army, and the bullets were very close to us, but fortunately no one was hurt from us".
(9. April) Associated Press photographer Mahfouz Abu Turk was attacked by the Israeli Special forces in Al-Essawiya village in Jerusalem, on Friday 9 April 2010. Abu Turk said that he went to cover a clashes broke out between Palestinian’s youths and Israeli Special Forces whose raided Al-Essawiya. And while he was covering , Israeli Special Forces beat him violently with sticks and hands, causing bruises on his body, especially in his right shoulder, and they broke his own camera lens.
(10. April) AFP cameraman and correspondent Hazem Bader was arrested, on Saturday 10
April 2010 by the Israeli occupation forces, in Biet Safa village in Hebron. Bader said that he went to cover a peaceful march against land confiscation in Biet Safa, as the Israeli army came and declared Biet Safa as closed military area , and ordered all the demonstrators to evacuate the area. And when they refused the Israeli soldiers arrested him because he continued filming, and arrested about fifteen protestors, including international supporters. Bader added: "I have been handcuffed and detained for three hours, then I was released after the intervention of the AFP office, but the other detainees were transferred to an interrogation center in the Etzion settlement".
(10. April) AL-Najah Press office correspondent Samid Dwikat was arrested by the security service forces at Al-Mokataá headquarters in Nablus in the West Bank, On Sunday, 11 April 2010. Samid’s wife Shurouq Mohammed Mas'oud Dwikat said that a members from the preventive security forces came to their house and called Dwikat for interview at their headquarter in Nablus. And when he went there he was arrested without knowing the charges against him. Dwikat was released on Sunday 2 May 2010.
(24. April) (APA) Agency photographer Najeh Hashlamoun was detained and prevented from filming in Beit Omar village in Hebron city, by the Israeli occupation army, on Saturday, 24 April 2010. Hashlamoun said that he went yesterday 24 April 2010 to cover confrontations between Israeli army and Palestinians, after the Israeli occupation authority confiscated agricultural land in Biet Omar village north of Hebron city. And while he was filming, a soldier approached him and took his camera and forced him to sit on the ground near the Israeli soldiers, after about 45 minutes they gave him his camera and ordered him to leave the area.
(23. April) Alhayat Aljadedah correspondent Muheeb Albarghouthi was arrested while he was covering a weekly march in Bila'in village near Ramallah by Israeli occupation army, on Friday, 23 April 2010. Albarghouthi said that he went on Friday 23 April 2010 to cover Bila'in weekly march near Ramallah, and while he was portraying, a group of Israeli soldiers approached and arrested him, and they also arrested four Israeli’s, and took them to investigation center near Bila'in. Albarghouthi added: “There, they asked me to sign a paper which prevents me to enter Bila'in for two weeks but I refused that. And after half an hour they took us to another place and they detained us from 2:00pm until 8:00 am next day.
(23. April) AFP photographer Abbas Moumni was attacked in Bila'in weekly march near Ramallah by the Israeli occupation army, on Friday, 23 April 2010. Moumni said that he was injured by rubber bullet in his leg; while he was covering weekly march in Bila'in .But the injury was minor.
(25. April) "Alhayat Aljadedah" correspondent Nufouth Al-Bakri house was raided, by a group of civilians who said that they are belonging to the Information Ministry, in the dismissed government in Gaza, who asked her to get a license for her home as a "Press Office" or to stop sending news to the daily Newspaper" Alhayat Aljadedah" which published in AlBireh city near Ramallah in the West Bank, Sunday afternoon, 25 April 2010. Al-Bakri said that civilian persons, who said that they are belonging to the Ministry of Information, came to her house and asked her to get a press office license to her home, because she is working with Alhayat Aljadedah newspaper. But she told them that she is working from her home because the newspaper office is closed, and this is her own home and not a press office. So they answered her that this is the Information Ministry instruction. Al-Bakri added: “I called an official from the Information Ministry, but he denied that he had sent anyone to my home, as he was in vacation a week ago."
25. April) Freelance journalist Mustafa Sabri was called by the preventive security service in Qalqilya city in the West Bank, on Wednesday, 26 April 2010. Sabri said that members belonging to the preventive security service came to his house by military car and another civilian one, and summoned him to an interview in their headquarters. When he went to the interview on the next day, they interrogated him about his journalist work, syndicate and the upcoming municipality elections. Sabri Added." I have been treated well, but I stayed there from 9:30 am to 2:30 p.m."
(30. April) Aljazeera TV crew (cameraman Majdi Bannourah And the technical Assistant Nader Abu Zer) were arrested by the Israeli occupation army, when they arrived in Bila'in Village near Ramallah in the West Bank, on Friday afternoon 30 April 2010. Aljazeera TV said in press release which MADA received a copy, that the crew went to cover Bili’n weekly march, and at the moment of their arrival to the region, the Israeli forces approached them and confiscated their Identity cards, led them to Israeli checkpoint and ordered them to sit on the ground blindfolded and handcuffed. After 4 hours they were taken to Ofar camp to take personal information about them. Half an hour later a military patrol returned them back to Bili’n and they were released after a warning that bila'in is a closed military area and they will be arrested if they come back again.
Contact:
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
Ramallah
info@madacenter.org
madapalestine@yahoo.com
www.madacenter.org
Tel. & Fax: 00970 2 2976519
