Further violation of media freedoms in Palestinian territories during August 2007
Past month has witnessed more violations of media freedoms, in Palestinian territories, by the executive force, and the Palestinian security services, in addition to the Israeli occupation forces, as there was no change on media entities situation, which had been closed, or prevented from distribution, by the two parties, whether in the West Bank or Gaza Strip.
In a worrying development, a serious violation of Palestinian basic law, which guarantees freedom of opinion and expression, the executive force , banned public rallies in Gaza Strip, only after obtaining prior permission, on the 11th of August, police chief of Nablus city also issued similar order, on the twenty-second of August , which could lead to a deterioration of public freedoms, the freedom of opinion and expression, and threatens to escalate violation of media freedoms in the Palestinian territories.
A new phenomenon has emerged in Gaza Strip, its Friday prayers in open places, starting popular marches after them, by initiative of Fatah movement, Hamas responded by dispersing participants by force, and because they do not want media to cover that, so they attack them, prevented them from photography, and the seized tapes, (ispite of in the executive force officials confirmation of their respect for freedom of opinion and expression).
This new form of competition between Fatah and Hamas movements to gain the street and public opinion, will lead to the escalation of the conflict between them, which would lead to further attacks on journalists, and the continued violation of freedom of opinion and expression, will lead also to the increase of media (battle) between them, a combined of incitement, events enlargement, and distortion of information, by media loyal to the two movements.
Mada center condemns all attacks on journalists, and is:
- Demanding of prosecution of those responsible for attacks on journalists and bring them to justice.
- Renewing call to Governments of Salam Fayyad, Ismail Haniya, to respect freedom of opinion and expression, and to enable the media entities, which have been closed or prevented from distribution in last June, to return to work freely.
- Renewing call for journalists and the media entities, to adhere to professional standards.
- Calling on the international community, to put pressure on the government of Israel, to stop its violations of media freedoms, in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Monthly Summary Report
1. (August 1) - ) Red line program (presented by writer and journalist Hasan Kashef for Palestinian public TV from Gaza city through Ramatan agency studios, was prevented, by the Ministry of Information in dismissed Ismail Haniya government, it is worthy to mention that Palestinian Pubic Satellite and TV had stopped broadcasting from Gaza city since the 14th of last June after of Hamas control of Gaza Strip, and besieging the TV building.
2. (August 7) - AlBian Press office director Jihad Shehada was arrested, from his home in the of Jamma’in village (Salfit), by Palestinian security services, his office was raided twice in 14 and 20 of last June, by Palestinian security services.
3. (August 11) –Ramatan agency cameraman Raed Kfarnah was detained and attacked, by the executive force during his coverage of the executive force wedding participant’s dispersal, in Beit Hanoun city (Gaza Strip).
4. (August 13) – AlResaleh newspaper correspondent & some news websites Mustafa Sabri was arrested, by Palestinian security forces, from his home in Qalqilya city.
5. (August 13) - journalists were banned from covering National Parties sit in, in Gaza city, , by the executive force, in Gaza city, they attacked Abu Dabi TV cameraman Mohammed Salhah, confiscated his camera, and Ramatan cameraman Ahmad Alras, was detained for brief time , they released him after confiscating his camera tape, Arabiya channel office was raided also by the executive force ,where they confiscated television tapes, which contain pictures of the sit in.
6. (August 17) - Apollo agency photographer Ayman Nubani, Ramatan agency crew Kamal ِِِAlazraq, Bakr Abu Irjilah, and Fadi Eid, fainted as a result of inhaling the gas, during the of the Israeli occupation forces dispersal, of the weekly march against the apartheid wall, in Blain village.
7. (August 24) - Zoom company for television production cameraman Khalid Bulbol (they beat him also), France Press Agency photographer Mohamed Albaba, Russia Today channel cameraman Mustafa Albayed, and French channel two cameraman Ibrahim Dahman, were arrested by the executive force, where they were detained for one hour at one of its offices, and released after that, They attacked and attempted to arrest Reuters agency cameraman Abed Rabbo Shana’h, where Palestine TV reporter Adel Zanoun, Al-Jazeera correspondent Wael Dahdouh, and Quds Al-Arabi newspaper reporter Ashraf Alhour, tried to convince them not to arrest him, but they insisted on it (parts of his camera broke during that), then a large group of people pushed and released him, they began shooting towards the four journalists, They also attacked Palestine Company for Media Production cameraman Ahmed Hassounah (they sabotage his camera), and Arabiya channel cameraman Jamal Abu Nahel.
8. (August 25) – Journalists Syndicate board member Sakher Abu A’un home, was raided in Gaza city, by the executive force, they attempted to arrest him , but the intervention of a number of journalists, who were in the house, led to retreating from his arrest.
9. (August 30) - Director office of Felesteen newspaper in West Bank Walid Khalid, was transferred to isolation Section in Ramla prison, by the Israeli occupation authorities, Khalid was arrested on 18/5/2007, and was transferred to administrative detention at the 7th of last June.
10. (August 31) - French television cameraman Fred Pak and correspondent Barbara Laure, were slightly wounded, from shrapnel Voice bomb, launched by one member of the executive force, to disperse Fatah movement march, in Gaza city, which started after Friday prayers, they also prevented some press crews from covering the march.
