Press Release
Increase in media freedoms violation in the Palestinian territories
Offenders’ being free is a threat to freedom of opinion and expression
Last February witnessed an escalation in the Israeli violations of media freedoms in the Palestinian territories, which included : arresting European press Agency EPA photographer Abdul Hafeez Al -Hashlamon in Hebron city (February 10), wounding Associated Press photographer Nasser Shiokhi in Hebron city (February 16), renewing administrative detention of journalist Jamal Farraj (February18),assaulting Al-Hayat Al-Jadida photographer Muhib Barghouthi, CNN cameraman A’dil Bardalo, Aljazeera Channel correspondent Guevara Al-Budeiri, in Blain village (February 23), wounding press photographer Atta A’uisat in Jerusalem city (February 23), transfusing Nablus TV and Al-Najah radio waves in Nablus city (February 25), preventing Press crews from covering the military campaign in Nablus city (February 25), arresting Local Sanabil TV manager Nabeg Breack in Nablus city (February 26, stopping Italian TV crew for two ours and arresting the crew cameraman Raed Helow, in Hebron city (February 27).
This rise in the number of Israeli violations in last February, compared with five violations in the previous month (January), attributable to the increase in Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank, and the attacks on the media which accompany with these operations. What drew the attention of such violations by the Israeli army is transfusing Nablus TV and al-Najah radio waves, to serve the objectives of the military campaign in Nablus city, which is contrary to all international norms and conventions, especially the second paragraph -Article 27 of Human Rights Universal Declaration, which stipulates that (everyone has the right to protection of moral and material interests resulting from his literary, scientific or artistic production).
The violations on the Palestinian side, included : setting fire on Sawt al-Omall radio headquarter, and sabotaging its equipment in Gaza city (February 1), preventing press crews from covering the attacks on the Ministry of Agriculture building, and of the Islamic University campus(February 3), firing at Turkish news agency (Ekhlas) in Gaza city (February 3), concealing the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) homepage on the Internet (February 5), abducting Ma’an press agency photographer Wisam Nassar for a short period of time (February 6), attacking Palestinian public television employees and the theft of the TV car in Gaza city (February 20).
The reasons for this decline of violations compared with the previous month, which amounted to 11 violations, due largely to the signing of Mecca agreement, between Fatah and Hamas movements under Saudi sponsorship, on eighth of last February, which put an end to bloody clashes between the two parties, and eased tension in the Palestinian arena, leaving the positive effects on the development of freedom of opinion and expression, as most of the violations in question occurred prior to the signing of the agreement, although it has not put an end to the disorder in the Palestinian territories, did not enhance the authority of the law until now, but we hope that the national unity government to make serious efforts, to put an end to the security chaos, and to promote the rule of law.
Mada center consider attacks on journalists, and media institutions in the Palestinian territories serious infringement of freedom of opinion and expression, guaranteed by Article 19 of the Palestinian law foundation, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Mada Center, which strongly condemns these violations, urges the international community, and human rights institutions, particularly working in the field of defending journalists, exercise more pressure on the Israeli government, to stop the attacks by members of its army, on journalists and media institutions, and bring offenders to trial, It also calls on the Palestinian Authority and government, to put an end, to the situation of insecurity prevailing in the Palestinian territories, and to ensure the protection of journalists, and to prosecute those responsible for attacks on journalists, and media institutions, and to bring them to justice, because the survival of offenders free is a threat to freedom of opinion and expression, and encourage others, to carry out further attacks on journalists.
Mada Center expresses its concern over the safety of BBC correspondent Alan Johnson, who was abducted in Gaza City on March 12, 2007, and calls again on the Palestinian Authority and the government to make maximum efforts for his release, and to work diligently to put an end to the phenomenon of abduction of journalists, and the punishment of those responsible for this crime and kidnapping crimes that preceded it.
—————————————-
Monthly summary report
1. (February 1) - Sawt al-Omall radio headquarter was fired on in Gaza city and the burning of its headquarters and sabotage equipment after the entry into it, which led to the suspension of broadcasting, General Federation of Trade Unions of Palestine, which the radio belongs, accused in a statement, the Executive force of the Palestinian Interior Ministry, and Al- Qassam Brigades of this crime. It is noteworthy that the radio had been attacked in 12 / 10 / 2006, its manager Rizq Al-Bayyari car, was burnt in January4, 2007.
2. (February 3) - Palestinian security forces prevented press crews, from coverage the attack, on the building of Agriculture Ministry, and the campus of Islamic University, in Gaza City, by security forces members.
3. (February 3) - Turkish news agency (Ekhlas) was shot on, during armed clashes between fighters of Fatah and Hamas, no one from the agency staff was hurt.
4. (February 5) - Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) homepage on the Internet was attacked by unknown, who wrote upon the English website (the “Hamas" banned search on another page), the Agency has issued a statement in which it said (this is an attack against the right of citizens to know what is going on, away from the partisanship and narrow-mindedness).
5. (February 6) –Ma’an press agency photographer Wisam Nassar, was abducted for a brief period of time, by members of the Presidential Guard, during his coverage a march in Gaza City, in protest against internal fighting. Nassar won the prize of severalty for the global picture, who shot a picture of Palestinian child in the refrigerator of deads last month.
6. (February 10) - European press Agency EPA photographer Abdul Hafeez Alhashlamon was arrested, by Israeli occupation soldiers, during his covering of assault on Palestinian citizen in Hebron city, they assault him during his arrest, and detention in a police station in the Kiryat Arba’ settlement, where he was released after five hours.
7. (February 16) - Associated Press photographer Nasser Shiokhi, was wounded in the leg by a rubber bullet, , while covering clashes between Israeli occupation forces, and a group of citizens, in Beit Ummar village (Hebron), he was transfered to Hebron hospital for treatment.
8. (February 18) - administrative detention of journalist Jamal Farraj, renewed by the Israeli military court, for a period of four months, for the sixth consecutive time, Israeli occupation forces arrested Farraj, in the first of October 2004.
9. (February 20) – Palestinian public television employees, were attacked by armed Palestinian group, in Gaza city, they had stopped the TV car, which they were riding, and housed them and beat them in addition to the driver, then stole the car, and fled away.
10. (February 23) - Al-Hayat Al-Jadida photographer Muhib Barghouthi, CNN cameraman A’dil Bardalo, Aljazeera correspondent Guevara Al- Budeiri, were attacked by water pouring, during the Israeli occupation forces dispersal of the weekly demonstration, against the construction of the apartheid wall, in Blain village , which was organized on the third anniversary of its inception.
11. (February 23) – Press photographer Atta A’uisat was wounded in the leg, by sound bomb shrapnel, fired by Israeli security forces, at the Palestinian citizens, after leaving Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
12. (February 25) - Nablus TV and radio Al-Najah_ Al-Najah National University, broadcast waves were transfused by Israeli occupation forces, during the military campaign in Nablus city, and broadcasting a statement for the Israeli army, to serve the objectives of the military campaign
13. (February 25) - Press crews were prevented from coverage of the Israeli military campaign on the of Nablus city, the soldiers thrown tear gas bombs towards them to leave the area, its worth to note that Israeli occupation forces are trying in most cases, to prevent press crews from covering its insults and attacks against Palestinians.
14. (February 26) – Local Sanabil TV manager Nabeg Breack was arrested in Nablus city, by Israeli occupation forces, after they invaded the headquarters of the TV station , they confiscated equipment and the transmitter and tampering with its contents ,during the military campaign, they carried out in Nablus city.
15. (February 27) –Italian television crew, which included Italians and Palestinians (director Barbara Kptsi, producer Nerdoli Cardy, journalist Hisham Sharbati, Cameraman Raed Helow, production assistant Basil Mahmoud, voice technician Issa Komsya, assistant cameraman Rabea’ Nael), were stoped by Israeli occupation forces after they filmed a documentary in a school in the old town of Hebron, and subjected to provocation by a settler who allegedly accuse Helow of assaulting him, where Helo was arrested about 12 hours. it is worth to mention that about two thousand settlers living in the center of Hebron city, which has a population of about 200,000, Palestinians, and practice various types of attacks on the citizens of the old town, on an almost daily basis
