There has been a marked decline in the number of violations against Palestinian journalists during last December, as in this month six violations happened while MADA monitored at the previous month, twenty-one violations.
The most of the violations happened this month on 13 and 14 December, in coincide with the commemoration of Hamas anniversary, where the Kuwaiti channel (Wisal) programs maker Ziad Ismail Awad was arrested, And the photographers of Diamond corporation Amer and Samer Labbad was prevented from covering Hamas anniversary, in Gaza Strip. And the of Turk Time site reporter Musab al-Alqataloni and the director of Aqsa TV in west Bank Mohamed Eshtewi were arrested in the West Bank.
On other hand the Israeli attacks continued on Palestinian journalists in Jerusalem - despite the decline this month - where the settlers and Israeli security men attacked the Palestine TV cameraman Nader Baybars and Reuters photographer Ammar Awad in Jerusalem.
These days, it passed over a year of the Israeli brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip, where about 1400 Palestinians were killed, Including four journalists: A’laa Murtaja, Basil Faraj, Omar Silawi, and Ehab Wahidi, Were also a number of journalists were injured and many media institutions and houses of a large number of journalists were destructed and bombed. Beside that Israel banned all media teams from entering Gaza Strip during the aggression and after a week of it.
MADA center strongly condemns all attacks against journalists, and also denounce the Israeli authorities prevention of Palestinian prisoners from watching Aljazeera TV channels since about year, and considers that serious violation of freedom of expression and access to information.
MADA expresses its concern about the U.S representative house legislation to punish some Arab TV Channels including Aqsa Palestinian TV channel, , which broadcast media materials that they are transmitting programs which U.S.A interpret as hostile to it, on 8 December 2009. MADA considers that a serious prejudice of freedom of expression.
In the beginning of this year, MADA salutes the Palestinian journalists and all the journalists in the other countries, especially those who were attacked. MADA hopes that this year will witness a real improvement in media freedoms in Palestine and the entire world. We also demand to stop all the media freedom violations, and the release of all arrested journalists.
Details of violations:
(13 Dec.)- Al Wesal TV program maker Zyad Ismaeel Awad was arrested by the Palestinian internal Security in Gaza strip. Awad said that members of the internal security came to his house on 13 December 2009 at 8:00 am on Sunday, and took him to their headquarters in Deir al-Balah. Awad who also works as Fatah’s parliamentary bloc Director Office in the central region said that he was questioned about his relationship with AL-Wesal Channel where he is preparing a program showing the suffering of the people in Gaza Strip, he also was questioned about his relationship with the Legislative Council. Despite that the investigation did not exceed quarter of an hour, Awad remained in detention until 11:00 pm, then they released him. Awad said: “I was not tortured, but they treated me roughly, and they did not give me food. And they asked me to give them my computer, but I told them: Go and take it from
the prosecution."
(13 Dec.)- The Turk k Time site correspondent, Musab Husam Alqataloni was arrested by the Palestinian intelligence services in Nablus city. Alqataloni’s mother said that members belonging to the (PIS) in Nablus came to their house in two civilian cars at about 10:00 pm and took her son to the intelligence headquarters in Junaid. His mother added that they treated them roughly, and refused to answer about the reason of her son arrest, he was released on Friday 18 December 2009. Alqataloni was summoned by the Palestinian Preventive Security for investigation on Saturday, 12 December 2009, and he was detained from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm..
(13 Dec.)- Diamonds for media production photographers; Samer and Amer labbad were prevented from covering Hamas anniversary by the Palestinian internal security services, in Gaza Strip. Samer Labad said that he was with his brother on the surface of building to cover the festival and suddenly two security men approached them and told them that photography is prohibited here. They told them there are a lot of journalists taking pictures from the same place, Why you just preventing us? Then they took their identity cards and tolde them: “you will take them tomorrow from our headquarters in Abu Khadra." And when they went the next day they were detained for one hour, and after that they photographed them, then released them, but they didn’t give them their identity cards.
(14 Dec.)- Aqsa TV director office in the West Bank, Mohammed Eshteiwi was arrested in Tulkarm city by the Palestinian military intelligence service . Eshtewi’s wife said that a group belonging to Palestinian military intelligence service in Tulkarm city arrested her husband on Monday (14 Dec.) from a shop near his home. She mentioned that the (PIS) summoned her husband on Saturday 12 December 2009, where he remained under investigation all the day, and they summoned him again in the next day for about three hours. After his release on Saturday 19 December 2009 Eshteiwi said that he had a hunger strike since his arrest until Thursday, causing him a loss of consciousness, after they took him to the hospital, and they contacted his family to convince him to eat, so they came and then he break his hunger strike and he was released two days later.
(13 Dec.)-Reuters News Agency photographer, Amar Awad was attacked in Jerusalem city by Israeli security forces, Awad said that a group of Israeli security men attacked him when he was covering the celebration of “Jerusalem the capital of Arab culture" in Jerusalem, and the attack caused him a several bruises and destruction of his camera lenses.
(18Dec.)- Palestine TV cameraman, Nader Baybars was attacked by the Israeli settlers In Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem city . Baybars said that several settlers attacked him severely when he was covering t attack of settlers group on a Palestinian mother and her children in the Sheikh Jarrah, the attack caused him bruises on his right hand and left leg. Baybars added: “When I tried to defend myself, members of the Israeli security came and handcuffed me and imitated me to the police station. There they wanted to accuse me of settlers assault, but I told them that the settlers who attacked me, and I’m a journalist and they shouldn’t treat me like this, then they released me".
