Ramallah – 20 April 2011: Three photographers covering settler violence in the eastern neighborhood of Burin in Nablus city were attacked yesterday, 19 April 2011, by Israeli soldiers and settlers.

The photographers Ja’far Zahid Ashtiyeh of Agence France Presse and Nasser Ishtayeh of Associated Press Agency and Wagdy Mohammed Shtayyeh of the APA agency were attacked by stone throwing settlers. In their attempts to escape the attack Wajdi and Nasser were beat by Israeli soldiers.

In his statement to MADA, Ja’far Ashtiyeh said that he went to the area to cover settler attacks where upon arrival to the scene settlers began throwing stones at them, inflicting wounds to his shoulder. He added: "We tried to stay away after that but Israeli soldiers beat Nasser to the ground causing severe bruising and savagely beat Wagdy both with their arms and rifle butts, where he sustained a broken and bleeding nose."

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) strongly condemns Israeli attacks on journalists, and the continued crackdown on their work. MADA urges the international community to take serious and effective steps in ending the suffering of journalists enduring ongoing targeting by Israeli occupation forces.

-------------------------
Contact:
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
Ramallah
riham@madacenter.org
www.madacenter.org
00970 2 2976519