The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has monitored several violations against the Palestinian Journalists during last May, and most of these violations were committed by the Israeli occupation forces. Where they assaulted WAFA Agency & APA photographer Muammar Jamil Awad, AlAyam Newspaper Editor Ahmad Faraj, Pal Media cameraman Yousef Shaheen, WAFA Agency photographer Ayman Nubani, Palestine TV correspondent Haroon Amayrieh, Al-Jazeera Press crew (Waleed AlOmari, Majed Safadi, Ma’moon Othman ). The occupation forces also arrested AlSharqieh Channel cameraman Ala’ Abu Al-S’ood, and prevented AFP photographer Adel Al-Za’noon from travelling from Gaza to London to receive an international award.
MADA center strongly condemns The Israeli occupations forces repeated attacks on the Palestinian Journalists while covering the Peaceful demonstrations in the West Bank, and targeting them in clear way, which put their lives at risks and limit their ability to cover the events, which considered flagrantly violations to freedom of expression. MADA calls the international community to pressure the Israeli government to stop the attacks and punish those who are responsible for it.
MADA expresses its condemnation of the arrest of AL-Aqsa Radio correspondent Samer Rwished by the Palestinian security apparatuses in west Bank, and demands his immediate release. MADA Also condemns the prevention of the Palestinian e Human Rights Commission to hold a workshop in Gaza city about the Status of the Freedom in the Palestinian territories by the internal apparatuses of the dismissed government in Gaza.
MADA also strongly condemns the Israeli occupation attack against the International fleet of freedom for breaking the siege on Gaza Strip at the end of the last month, where the Turkish correspondent Sividet Silvijar was killed, and the Indonesian Photographer Surah Veshrizar was seriously injured after being shot in the chest , and detention dozen of Journalists in bad conditions ,confiscated their equipment, and prevented them from covering the events during the attack, MADA joins the calls for the formation of an international investigation to this bloody crime, where Eight activists also were killed, and dozens were wounded.
Details of Violations:
(2. May) WAFA Agency and APA photographer Muammar Jamil Awad (25 years old) was attacked by the Israeli occupation forces while he was covering a demonstration against the apartheid separation wall in Beit Jala city in the West Bank. According to his brother ,Reuters Agency photographer Ammar Awad who was with his brother and a group of Journalists covering a march against the segregation wall in Beit Jala, and they were standing away from demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces started throwing gaz bombs to prevent them from covering the march, which injured his brother directly in the head. And his brother was taken by an ambulance belongs to the Palestinian Red Crescent to the Arab society hospital in Beit Jala. As a result of his dangerous and serious wounds in the head, he was converted to Tshari Tsidek hospital in West Jerusalem.
(6. May) Al-Aqsa Radio correspondent Samer Rwished was arrested by the Palestinian Intelligence service on Thursday evening 6 May2010 in Hebron city in the West Bank. Hani Rwished, Samer’s brother said that a group of the Intelligence service came to their house at 11:00 pm on Thursday evening 6 May 2010, and arrested Samer immediately .They also confiscated his computer and his own mobile. Hani added:" we went to visit him two days later but they didn’t allow us to do so, and after the intervention of a number of personalities, they allowed us to give him some clothes.
(11. May) AFP photographer Adel Al-Za'noon was prevented to travel to London by the Israeli occupation forces, to receive an international award by the (Media Award) for his coverage of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. According to Al-Za'noon he had been invited to the Conference held in London on 11-12May2010., In order to receive an appreciation award for his coverage of the aggression on Gaza, and a report he had prepared about the "Siege pushes Gaza’s people for more Extremism". Al-Za'noon also added, that all his papers were ready in terms of visa and none objection of Jordan, but the Israeli side refused to give him permission in pretext that the AFP was late applying for the permit four days.
(14. May) Al-Sharqyia channel cameraman Ala’ Abu Sood was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces, while he was covering Bil’in weekly march against the apartheid segregation wall, West Ramallah city. According to Abu Sood, he went on Friday 14May2010 to cover Bil’in weekly march, and while he was filming, the Israeli soldiers arrested him and transferred him to Ofer investigation center. He was detained there from 12:30 PM until 9:00 PM
(14. May) Palestine TV correspondent Haroon Amayreh was suffocated by gaz, while he was covering Bili’n weekly march near Ramallah on Friday 14 May 2010. Amayreh said that he was making an interview with Sultan Abu Al’nen in Bili’n, and during the interview, the Israeli occupation forces fired tear gas canisters on them, so Amayreh suffered severe difficulty in breathing due to gas inhalation, leading him to loss of consciousness for a short period, where the medical relief volunteers who was in the region provided him the necessary treatment.
(15. May) Al-Ayyam newspaper editor Ahmad Farraj was attack on 15 May 2010, on Hizma checkpoint by the Israeli occupation forces, while he was going to Ramallah city. Farraj said that he was heading to Ramallah by Taxi about 12:00 PM, and when the Taxi reached Hizma checkpoint, the soldiers asked the passengers to give them their identities cards, then they ordered Farraj to disembark the Taxi, and when he showed them his press card, they disembark him and beat him brutally by hands and rifle butts. Farraj added: “I was bruised on all over my body especially in my hands and legs."
(23. May) Pal Media cameraman Yousef Shaheen suffered gas suffocation, while he was filming a protest march in Beit Jala town (Bethlehem), Shaheen said that he was covering the march from away distance, where the Israeli occupation forces threw a gas bomb toward him and caused him a difficulty in breathing and to lose consciousness for a short period.
(29. May) WAFA Agency photographer Ayman Nubani was attacked by the Israeli occupation forces by a tear gaz bomb, while he was covering Oraq Bureen weekly march, near Nablus city. Nubani said that he was standing with a group of journalists away from the Israeli army and the demonstrators, and after a while, the Israeli army threw a tear gas grenades on the journalists, and he was injured by one of them on his left leg, so he fall on the ground which led to fire on his back. Nubani added:
“I was wounded in my leg and burned in my leg and back."
(31. May) AlJazeera TV crew (Director of the Office and Walid Al-Omari – cameraman Majid Safadi -the driver Ma’moun Othman) while covering the events of the fleet of freedom escorting to the Israeli port of Ashdod, on Monday 31May2010. AlJazeera office in Jerusalem said in a faxed statement, MADA center had received, that an extremist Israelis attacked Al-Omari by the lighting pole which was used by the crew for filming, and then they beat him on his chest and head. The statement also stated that when the crew entered their car, they knocked on the car windows, and cursed.
-----------
Contact:
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
Ramallah
info@madacenter.org
madapalestine@yahoo.com
www.madacenter.org
00970 2 2976519
