The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has recorded severe violations against media freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territories “oPt” during March, 2012.
These violations included continued Israeli attacks against journalists covering events such as the peaceful weekly demonstrations against settlements and the apartheid wall in the West Bank, and the activities of Land Day on 30 March in Jerusalem. A journalist was also injuring during Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.
There was also a significant increase in violations committed by Palestinian parties in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, compared to the previous month. These violations included detention, interrogation, beatings, threats and prohibiting people from working as journalists. This is despite the repeated statements of Palestinian officials in Ramallah and Gaza, concerning the importance of freedom of speech and public freedoms.
MADA condemns all attacks against journalists, which are a severe violation of the freedom of expression protected by international charters and national laws. MADA has also repeated calls for the international community to take a serious stand against the Israeli violations, which jeopardise the lives of journalists, prevent them from carrying out their professional duties, and of course have a psychological impact. In addition, MADA calls for the release all journalists currently detailed in Israeli prisons, four of whom are being held under administrative detention. MADA also demands Palestinian parties work to halt this deterioration in media freedoms and provide appropriate working conditions for journalists and other media workers, including preventing their arrest.
With the release of this monthly report, MADA is greatly concerned about the dangerous deterioration in freedom of expression in the Palestinian territories, in particular the pursuit of journalists and bloggers in response to their journalistic work or their writing on social networking sites. This reduces freedom of expression and encourages self-censorship, which negatively affects the professional performance of journalists and the local media.
Israeli violations:
9 March 2012
The house of Moemen Mahmmoud Al Sharafi, Ma’an News Agency correspondent, was bombed by an Israeli reconnaissance plane. As Al Sharafi told MADA: “At approximately 10:30pm on Friday, 9 March 2012, my house, which is located in Al Tofah district north of Gaza City, and the nearby house, were bombed by Israeli reconnaissance planes. A rocket also landed in the space between my home and nearby houses. I was wounded in the back by shattered glass. Also, my pregnant wife was slightly bruised but fortunately the ambulance arrived quickly and we were taken to Al Shefa’ Hospital. We were medically treated and I received stitches in my back. After one-and-a-half hours we both left the hospital. The bombing caused significant damage to the neighbouring houses.”
9 March 2012
Pal Media cameraman Samer Hamad was assaulted by Israeli forces while covering the weekly Al Ma’sara demonstration against the wall in Bethlehem. As Hamad told MADA: “Throughout our coverage of the Al Ma’sara weekly demonstration, a group of Israeli soldiers assaulted us and prohibited us from going down the main street. They pushed us and I fell on the ground, slightly injuring my left hand. I continued to cover the demonstration and kept filming while my hand was bleeding.”
16 March 2012
Agence France-Presse photographer Mousa Al Sha’er was assaulted by Israeli forces while covering an Al Ma’sara demonstration against the wall near Bethlehem on Friday, 16 March 2012. Al Sha’er reported that Israeli forces assaulted him and broke his camera lens, telling MADA: “The Israeli forces attacked the participants and hit them with batons. I was one of the journalists covering the demonstration. Suddenly one of the soldiers assaulted me with a baton, hitting the camera and breaking the lens. He tried to push journalists to prevent them from covering the demonstration, but we continued to cover it until the end. I believe this action is typical of the arrogance of the Israeli occupation and its regular attempts to prevent us from doing our professional duty, covering events and revealing the truth as it is on-the-ground.”
19 March 2012
Israeli authorities postponed the prosecution of Raed Sharif, announcer for Marah Radio, Hebron, until 18 April 2012. Sharif has been detained in Israeli prisons from 13 November 2011. Sharif’s father told MADA Center that there would be a witnesses session with the public prosecution. His father said that Sharif’s health condition was not good. He said Sharif was suffering abdominal pains and a prison doctor had said he could need surgery if the pain continued for another ten days. His father said he had contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross (is this correct? Is it the ICRC or another Red Cross office?), asking them to provide a specialist to examine his son.
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26 March 2012
Israeli forces arrested journalist Ola Haneia after breaking into her house in Al Beira city on Monday, 26 March 2012. Haneia is working in Mahmoud Darwish’s institution, in addition to writing a blog. As Ola’s father, Waled Abdul Salam Haneia, told MADA Center: “At 1:30am we were surprised by 11 Israeli soldiers who came into the house, searched all the rooms and asked about my daughter, Ola. They demanded her personal cell phones and confiscated them. They asked her to get dressed, then a female soldier searched her and they took her clothes without giving any reason, leaving the house at 2:30am. In the morning we called Al Dameer Association for Human Rights to ask for help in finding out where she was being detained and the reason for her arrest. At 11:00am they informed us that she was in Asklan prison in the investigations women’s center, without telling us the reasons for her arrest. An Al Dameer lawyer went to visit Ola but Israeli forces prohibited him from meeting her. However, a lawyer for Women for Freedom, Taghred Ashan, visited her at 4pm and told us that her health was in a good condition.” Ola’s father said he expected the reason for her arrest to be a Facebook page that she had established, focusing on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and their hunger strikes. The three others who established the page with Ola were also arrested.
30 March 2012
Freelance photographer Mahfaoud Abu Turk was assaulted by Israeli forces during his coverage of the Land Day demonstration in Jerusalem near Al Amoud (Damascus) Gate on Friday, 30 March 2012. Abu Turk told MADA Center that Israeli forces used excessive force to disperse the crowd on the anniversary of Land Day. He said they used violence against the crowds gathering there. Abu Turk confirmed that he was hit in the face by Israeli special forces with batons. He said he fell to the ground when one of them pushed him and he injured his face, his right hand and his leg. Abu Turk was transferred to a nearby ambulance and received treatment there.
30 March 2012
Quds Net News Website correspondent and photographer Diala Jwihan was wounded by Israeli forces while covering the peaceful demonstration on the anniversary of Land Day in Jerusalem near Al Amoud (Damascus) Gate on Friday, 30 March 2012. Jwihan told MADA Center that Israeli forces assaulted journalists while they were covering the Land Day demonstration. She said a soldier pushed her in the chest, which caused bleeding from a surgical wound which had not yet healed, and kicked her leg. Jwihan confirmed that one of her colleagues filmed the assault. Despite her injury, she continued to cover the demonstration. She reported that Israeli forces blocked the road in front of Palestinian journalists and assaulted them, while facilitating access for Israeli journalists.
30 March 2012
WAFA Palestine News and Information Agency photographer Afeef A’meira was wounded in the head by Israeli forces while covering the demonstration on the anniversary of Land Day in Jerusalem. Afeef A’meira told MADA Center: “While covering the demonstration for Land Day in front Al Amoud (Damascus) Gate near Schmidt's Girls School on Friday, 30 March 2012, Israeli forces pulled me from behind and hit me twice in the head. I fell down and my head was bleeding. I was treated by Red Crescent staff and I continued my work filming the arrests of Palestinian youth. But I was attacked for a second time by Israeli forces. I noticed that Israeli forces were annoyed by the large number of Palestinian journalists covering the demonstrations. They treated us cruelly and broke one journalist’s personal camera.”
Palestinian Violations
7 March 2012
Al-Aqsa television channel cameraman Osaid Amarneh was arrested by the Palestinian intelligence services in Bethlehem. Amarneh told MADA Center: “At 8:30am on Wednesday, 7 March 2012 an inspector from the Palestinian intelligence services visited my home in Bethlehem and told my father that he wanted to talk with me. My father told him that I had been wounded after falling into a hole while filming in Sa’eer village, Hebron Governorate. He said I had a severely bruised rib cage and had torn muscle on my right foot and left .The inspector told my father that they wanted me to come with them for between half an hour and an hour, and they would bring me back afterwards. Despite my injuries, I was interrogated in relation to my job and the money I receive from Gaza. I told them that it was in return for my work with Al-Aqsa TV. I was officially arrested at 12:30 pm. I was offered a consultation with a doctor and after examining me he drafted a report saying that my health condition is severe. Although I could hardly breathe they interrogated me again. I told them I was extremely tired but they continued the interrogation and so I argued with them. After 15 more minutes of interrogation I was told they would release me on the condition that I wrote and signed a testimony, which I did. After confiscating my mobile phone, they released me at 2am. They also issued me with a summons to return at 10:00am that day. But I had an appointment with the doctor at the same time so I did not return.
8 March 2012
Two people from the Gaza City security forces detained Sky News correspondent Mohammad Al Mashharawi for half an hour during his coverage of a wedding in Palestine Stadium in Gaza, on Thursday 8 March 2012. MADA contacted Al-Mashharawi but he apologised and said Sky News did not permit him to provide details of his arrest, until the completion of an investigation by the Hamas Government. However, BBC journalist Adnan Al- Boursh provided MADA with some information, saying: “I and a group of journalists were in Palestine Stadium to cover a wedding that the Prime Minister in the Gaza Strip, Mr. Ismail Hannieh, was expected to attend. Two members of the security forces wanted to talk alone with my college Mohammad Al-Mashharrawi. He went with them and after they argued, more members of the security forces arrived. Journalists in the stadium were upset about what had happened with Al Mashharawi and we decided not to cover the event. After several moments a group of security men came and told us that if we didn’t want to cover the event, we had to leave. A group of journalists gathered in protest, asking for the release of our colleague. After about 30 minutes, he was released.”
17 March 2012
Voice of Palestine radio journalist Tamem Mo’mar, who works in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip was threatened by an anonymous person. Mo’mar told MADA Center: “At around 10:30pm on Monday, 8 March 2012 I received a call on my mobile phone from an unknown number. I was threatened and told not to participate in the elections of the Palestine Journalists’ Syndicate, not to write any news item or report regarding the results of the union’s elections and not to mention any details concerning the situation in the Gaza Strip. The caller said that if I did not comply, I would receive a harsher punishment than on previous occasions. Nine days later, on 17 March, I received a similar call. The anonymous caller said that I had not complied with the previous phone call and I would be punished. He said I would regret it for the rest of my life and I would have to count to ten before holding a pen in my hand in future. This threat has left me and my family fearful, confused and anxious. I kept silent after the first phone call. However, this is not the first time I have been threatened and now I feel compelled to reveal what has happened. I was also prevented from travelling to Egypt for one-and-a-half years, until I sought the intervention of several human rights groups.
21 March 2012
Internal security forces with the Hamas Government in Gaza summoned journalist and lecturer at Al-Azhar University, Yehya Ibrahim Al-Madhoun, on Wednesday, 21 March 2012. Al-Madhoun told MADA Center: “Students and youths organised a peaceful gathering in front of Al-Azhar University, asking for a solution to problems faced by seniors in the Gaza Strip and calling for the empowerment of youth in society. I was participating in the gathering. After a short period of time an intelligence patrol arrived in a jeep and asked for the group to disperse. I intervened and told the officers that this was a peaceful assembly and the youths have the right to express their opinions. They tried to force me to go with them, but released me after students intervened. On returning home, I found a summons from the internal security forces. I went on Thursday, 22 March 2012 at 8am. No-one talked to me until 10:00am. After that, I was transferred to the interior security manager’s office. He told me that such sit-ins are suspicious and I must not participate in them. He asked me to sign a pledge but I refused, explaining that the gathering was peaceful and that everyone had the right to express their opinion. I was finally released at midnight.”
25 March 2012
Palestinian security bodies prevented Wesal Waleed from working as a journalist at Jenin Radio. Wesal said she applied for the position of editor at Jenin Radio. However, on Wednesday, 21 March 2012 she said she received a call from Mr Anas Shawahna, Director General of the radio station, who asked her to call the Ministry of Interior because she was prohibited from working as a journalist. Wesal said she called the Ministry immediately and talked with the audio-visual manager to enquire why she was prohibited from working as a journalist. She was informed that she had been prohibited from working as a journalist, in both private and public institutions, since February this year. Wesal was asked to call intelligence in Jenin City for information on the reasons behind this ban. Wesal confirmed that she is not involved in any civil and security activities which would prohibit her from working in her profession.
26 March 2012
Journalist Yousef Al-Shayeb was arrested after he published an investigative report in the Jordanian Al-Ghad newspaper. The prosecutor charged him with libel and slander following the report, in which Al Shayeb claimed the Palestinian Representative Office in Paris was involved in corruption. He was arrested under the provisions of Articles 188 of the Penal Code of 1960 of Jordan, relating to slander and libel.
Al-Shayeb was detained by the public prosecutor for 48 hours on Monday, 26 March 2012. He was then presented to the court on Wednesday, 28 March and his detention was extended by 15 days. Al Shayeb was simply doing his job as a journalist, and it is worth noting that under Article 4 of the 1995 Press and Publications Law of the Palestinian National Authority, journalists, news agencies, and editors have the right to keep sources of information confidential unless the Court decides that the information is relevant to prevent crime or for the protection of state security.
Al-Shayeb’s lawyer insisted this principle should be considered in relation to the request for an extension of Al-Shayeb’s detention, but the Court extended his detention by 15 days.
Al-Shayeb was released on April 2. MADA lawyer Raed Abdel-Hamid, who attended the hearing as a member of the journalist's defence team, said the Magistrate's Court in Ramallah released him on 10,000 Jordanian dinars bail.
26 March 2012
Executive Director of Jothour website Fo’ad Ali Abu Al-Foul was summoned for interrogation by the Hamas Government’s intelligence agency in the Gaza Strip on Monday, 26 March 2012. Abu Al-Foul told MADA he received a summons at around 2pm to go to intelligence in the Al-Shaik Radwan Center. He went immediately and was interrogated about his writings and his political activities. He was told they do not object to his journalistic work, but was warned from 'spreading rumours’. After the interrogation he was asked to sign a pledge not to practice political activities, to be committed to the instructions of Gaza’s Government and not to spread or promote rumours. He was also told that if he did not commit to the pledge, he would pay 1000 shekels, and be arrested for one month. Abu Al-Foul was released at 6pm.
28 March 2012
Dr. Esmat Abdel Al- Khalek was detained on Wednesday, 28 February in relation to a case being investigated by the Preventive Security Force in Ramallah City. She was detained after posting some comments on the social networking site Facebook, including one calling for the Palestinian Authority to be dismantled. The public prosecutor accused Dr Al-Khalek of defaming president Mahmoud Abas during a press conference that he conducted on Sunday, 1 April 2012 in Ramallah City.
28 March 2012
Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades detained three journalists: WAFA Palestine News and Information Agency correspondent Salem Mohammed Abu Salem; Swedish Radio journalist Cecilia Udden and Swedish freelance reporter Alexandra Sandal. They were interrogated by internal security forces in the Gaza Strip, after seeking to report on the effects of the blockade and Israeli aggression in the agricultural sector.
As Abu Salem reported to MADA Center: “I, Cecilia, Alexandra and the driver were heading towards Paris Gardens resort. We left the car near an orange orchard and started to take photos and search for the orchard guard, to seek information for our report. We waited for somebody to hear the car horn but there was no response. During this time, two youths wearing civilian clothes asked who we were and what we were doing. I asked who they were, thinking they were the orchard owners, but they said they were from Al-Qassam and that we were in a banned zone. I told them that we were leaving immediately but they asked us to wait, telephoned other people and told them to come armed. One person came on a motorbike and four others in a car, wearing civilian clothes but unarmed. They confiscated our press cards and my colleagues’ passports, our mobiles and laptops and told us to follow them by car. We parked in front of the Interior Security building, near the Governor's “Palace” in Gaza City (Ansar). There we were separated and interrogated about our work, our salaries, our email addresses and passports. Around 4:40 pm they returned our possessions and we were released."
30 March 2012
Members of the Hamas Government Palestinian police severely beat Quds Net News Website photographer and Watan radio correspondent Yousef Basher Hammad near the entrance of Beit Hanoun city during his coverage of Land Day events on Friday, 30 March 2012. He reported to MADA Center: “I was near Hamouda petrol station to cover the events of Land Day. At around 2:30pm a group of youths tried to head towards Beit Hanoun 'Ariz’ crossing but the police tried to block them from proceeding. When they did not respond, the police assaulted them. While I was covering the event, two policemen approached me and one asked for my press card. Before I could give it to them, they hit me all over my body with their batons. I felt severe pain, especially from the blows to my head and neck and I fell to the ground, almost unconscious. After I stood up they confiscated my camera and the cassette inside. After they confirmed that I am a journalist, they returned my camera, the cassette and my press card.”
