Ramallah - 11/7/2011: In the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces attacked Associated Press photographer Hazem Bader while covering a solidarity event with the people of Altoana village, south of Hebron, on Saturday 9 July 2011.
Bader went to the town of Altoana to cover a land reclamation event in solidarity with the residents of Altoana village, whos lands are threatened with confiscation due to the expansion of nearby illegal settlements. A group of international and Israelis activists gathered to assist village farmers clean and care for the land currently under threat. Bader was covering the day’s activities when an Israeli border guard threw a concussion gredade between his legs, causing moderate contusions and burns on both his legs and feet.
In another incident, the IOF barred the journalist Mustafa Sabri from travelling through the Al Karama border terminal to Jordan on Friday 8 July 2011. According to Sabri, he presented his papers at Israeli border control at 8 am and was told by the guard on duty to wait. After approximately 3 hours of waiting Sabri was approached by a border official who informed him that he was barred from travelling for "security reasons". Sabri was offered no further explanaition as to why the ban was in place, and added: "I will not be silenced and I will continue to defend my right to travel."
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) strongly condemns Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists, which stand in direct contravention to international laws and conventions. MADA also wishes to emphasize the following:
The right of Palestinian journalists to cover events is guaranteed under article 19 of the Uneversal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers".
The right to freedom of movement is guaranteed to all citizens, including journalists, under Article 13 of the same law, which states: “1.everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State. 2. everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country".
Under the auspices of these laws, MADA demands that the international community and human rights organizations intervene immediately to end the suffering of journalists and hold the occupation authorities accountable for their repeated human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
