The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (Mada) welcomes the release of journalist Abed Allah Adawi on 28 September, where he had been arrested by the Palestinian Preventive Security Service on Aug. 26.

Mada also welcomes the release of Aqsa TV cameraman Osaid Amarneh in the
early morning of September 29, on bail of two thousand JD dinars (about
3000$), his release was conditioned to his return back to prison on Saturday, October 4.

While we stress that this step came in the right direction, which allowed
them to celebrate the Eid with their families, but we condemn the Adawi
torture on the first day of his arrest, he confirmed that he was subjected
to severe beatings and bad conditions. We also condemn the difficult
circumstances of Amarneh arrest in the first three days of his arrest on
Sept. 21 by the Palestinian intelligence service; he said that he was
detained in a cell measuring 4 m. square with four other detainees.

Mada calls on the prohibiting the arrest and persecution of journalists, and persecution of those responsible for attacks on them, as it happened with Amarneh and Adawi and many others, Mada also demands the canceling of Amarneh arrest order, and the release of journalists Khaldoun Mathloum and Fareed Hammad from Palestinian security services prisons.

Ramallah
October3, 2008