Ramallah – 18 January 2012: The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) condemns the attack on the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights public relations officer, Mahmoud Abu Rahma, on Friday 13 January 2012 in the Tel Al-Hawa area of ​​Gaza Strip.

Abu Rahma spoke to MADA’s legal consultant Karem Nashwan, reounting threats of "punishment and retribution" he had received from unknown persons on his cell phone and e-mail after writing and publishing an article entitled “ the absent protection” on various websites. Abu Rahma also received accusations of "blasphemy, betrayal and opposing the resistance."

Abu Rahma added: "I was heading to my house in Tel Al-Hawa on Friday 13 January when I noticed that there were three masked men following me, I ran quickly toward the house but I tripped on the stairs and fell over. They began attacking me, stabbing me in my right thigh, three times above my right knee, my back and left shoulder, and cutting off part of my hand.”

MADA center strongly condemns the attack on Abu Rahma and calls upon all relevant government bodies to make every possible effort to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice. MADA considers the attack of any citizen as retribution for writing material for public consumption a flagrant violation of freedom of expression, which is guaranteed under Palestinian Basic Law.