21 March 2011- Ramallah: MADA reports that Hamas security forces have this week committed numerous violent attacks against journalists covering the youth protests currently sweeping the Strip. MADA received reports of security service personnel beating, insulting, threatening and detaining journalists, in addition to the raiding of various media agency offices.

This new wave of peaceful actions were launched in Gaza on 15 March 2011 as part of ongoing public demands for an end to the current internal Palestinian split between Fatah and Hamas.

Throughout these events security forces in Gaza have continued to act without regard to the appeals and protests of human rights institutions and civil society organizations calling upon the government to practice restraint and end all attacks against journalists and demonstrators.

Alwatan Voice radio correspondent Nasr Abu Alfoul was assaulted yesterday whilst covering youth activities in Aljundi Almajhoul yard: "While I was covering events from the yard I was approached by three members of the police that wanted to arrest me, I told them that I was live on air, but they didn’t listen and took me by force to a room near the yard where they accused me of providing [Ramallah] with information. I denied the accusation so they beat me severely with sticks and batons; then after two hours they released me after coercing me into signing a pledge of commitment to public order."

Palestinian women journalists were also harassed by security services yesterday, including beatings and verbal abuse. Alhayat Aljadedah newspaper correspondent Nufouth Al-Bakri said that members of Internal Security followed her while she was covering the events in Aljundi Almajhoul yard, where they tried to force her to leave the area and attempted to confiscate her camera. Al-Bakri added: "They were focusing their attacks on the women journalists and women demonstrators yesterday, and they tried to force all of the journalists from the region, they were pushing and cursing us using obscene language".

Violations continued when approximately ten people belonging to security services raided the headquarters of Reuters news agency, where they physically abused and pointed handguns in the faces of journalists present in the offices: Abed Rabbo Shana, Mohamed Sobhi Abdel-Rahman and Mohamed Jadallah. Shana said that security personnel raided the office without justification, beat journalists with batons, and then pointed guns in their faces while the beatings continued. Shana, added: "In addition to that, they confiscated a camera and broke some of the equipment, the camera was returned after two hours."

These attacks targeting journalists have become increasingly violent following the start of the youth movement actions on the 15th of March, with large groups of journalists and media institutions being attacked.

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) strongly condemns the repeated attacks against journalists and denounces the continuing employment of intimidation and scare tactics obstructing journalists from covering current events in Gaza. MADA is particularly concerned with the singling out of women journalists as targets for harassment and abuse. MADA demands that the Hamas government respects the right of freedom of opinion and expression in the Gaza Strip, investigates all reported incidences of attacks against journalists by their security services, and ensures all responsible parties are held accountable for their involvement.

Contact:

Riham Abu Aita

Public Relation Officer

riham@madacenter.org

www.madacenter.org

00970 2 2976519