Police of the dismissed Gaza government beat, cursed and detained a group of women journalists
01/02/2011 -
Ramallah: Yesterday - 01/31/2011 - police of the dismissed Gaza government beat, cursed and detained a group of journalists in the courtyard of the “Aljundi Almajhoul", who were staging a sit-in in solidarity with the Egyptian people.
The journalists went to cover and participate in the sit-in in solidarity with Egypt, and when they arrived a group of women police attempted to confiscate their cameras and apprehended them to a civilian car where they proceeded to insulted and beat the journalists whilst driving them to a nearby interrogation center. Police also assaulted and arrested other journalists and bloggers present at the scene and took them to the same investigation center.
Journalist Asma’ al-Ghoul told MADA that she and all her fellow female journalists: Al Jazeera reporter Nazik Abu Rahma, director and the blogger Razan Madhoun, blogger Abeer Ayoub, and blogger Iba’ Rezeq, were subjected to humiliation, insults, beatings, and body searches. They were also ordered to sign a declaration of "commitment to public morality and to not participate in future sit-ins". All detainees refused to sign so they were detained from 2:00 PM til 6:00 PM, until officials altered the statement to a pledge not participate in sit-ins, all of the women were then released, except for Al-Ghoul who stayed until 7:00 PM.
Al-Ghoul, added: "The interrogator separated me from my colleagues in order to beat me, she beat me violently on my cheeks and neck and pulled my hair despite informing her that I suffering from problems in the glands and nerves near the eye, I was also verbally abused by a police man, then I signed the pledge and was released. "
The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) strongly condemns the attacks on journalists in Gaza, and demands the dismissed government to respect freedom of expression, and to open an immediate investigation into the incident and to hold all those involved accountable.
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Contact:
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
Ramallah
riham@madacenter.org
www.madacenter.org
Tel.&Fax :02 2976519
