MADA: During July a number of worrying violations committed by both Israelis and Palestinians
Ramallah 6 August 2013: Last July witnessed an escalation of violations against media freedoms by the Israeli Occupation, monitored by the Palestinian center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), where the Occupation committed a large amount of violations against Palestinian journalists during their coverage of the different events in the West Bank and Jerusalem, as well during their protest demanding their right of free movement.
Another increase was witnessed in the violations committed by Palestinians against Palestinian journalists and media outlets, which lead to the deterioration of media freedoms status during the past month, significantly in the Gaza Strip, especially after the Attorney General's decision to illegally close the offices of Ma'an News Agency, Al-Arabiya, and Al Lens Media Production Company.
Israeli Occupation Violations:
Israeli occupation forces IOF arrested Palestine News Network cameraman Mohammed Walid Al azza (23 years old), from his home in the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem, on Monday 1st July 2013, he was released after 11 days and paid bail of 1,500 Israeli shekels (approximately 420 US dollar). The IOF also arrested the correspondent of Hona Al Quds network for Community Media Ahmad Aruri, from his home in the village of Arura, near Ramallah, on Sunday 28th July 2013. Aruri is still detained by the IOF.
The IOF also attacked a group of journalists when they were covering a protest demanding open Peteen village road leading to villages east of Ramallah, near the settlement of Beit El, on Wednesday 3rd July 2013. Those journalists are: Alhaya Aljadeda newspaper photographer Essam Rimawi Palestine Public TV cameraman Fadi Jayyousi, the Associated Press photographers Imad Isaeed and Fadwa Hodali, Reuters’ photographers Mohammed Turkmen and Saed Hawari, freelance photographer Haitham al-Khatib, and the France Press Agency photographer Abbas Momeni.
In Nablus, the IOF detained the crew of Alaqsa TV and Aljazeera TV for 3 hours, while they were on their way to prepare a report on cut of 1,000 olive trees from the village of Awarta, in the West Bank city of Nablus, the occupation forces, on Thursday 11th July 2013.
In another incident, the Israeli occupation forces attacked a group of journalists and dispersed their peaceful protest to claim their right to freedom of movement as part of the activities of the campaign "Palestinian journalists' freedom of movement", on Wednesday 16th July 2013, in front of the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah. The Israeli soldiers threw tear gas at journalists and prevented them from completing their peaceful protest, while they pushed some of the journalists.
The Palestinian Violations:
The Police prevented the Palestine Public TV crew (correspondent Safaa Alhabeel and Photographer Ayman Alswesi) from preparing a report on the water crises in Khan Younis district south of Gaza Strip, on Tuesday 2nd July 2013.
Anonymous people, who identified themselves as the al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) threatened the director of the Chinese News Agency office Imad Drimli, and freelance journalist Majed Abu Salama with "death and to cut their tongues" if they continued to express their opinions regarding the events in Egypt.
In the West Bank, the Palestinian Preventive Security called the writer and freelance journalist Khaled Ma’ali for investigation on Tuesday 16th July 2013, to their headquarters in the town of Salfit north of West Bank, where he was interrogated about his articles and journalistic work, his detention lasted for a period of 4 hours and a half.
The Internal security in Gaza prevented journalists from protesting in front of the Office of the High Representative, demanding an intervention in order to ensure the right of the Palestinian journalists of free movement, within the activities of the campaign "Palestinian journalists' freedom of movement," on Wednesday 17th July 2013.
The Security forces in Gaza seized the office keys of Ma’an and Al-Arabiya, preventing employees from entering their offices, on Tuesday 30th July 2013. Nearly after 5 days from The Attorney-General Counsel Ismail Jabr order to close the offices of Ma'an, Alarabia TV, and Lens media Production Company in Gaza on a temporary basis, on Thursday 25th July 2013.
Conclusions and Recommendations:
MADA condemns all violations against media freedoms in Palestine. and calls upon the international community to take a firm stand on the ongoing Israeli violations against journalists and for those responsible to be held accountable, especially after the marked escalation of violations against journalists during the past month, and to pressure the Israeli authorities to allow journalists to move freely and without restrictions between the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem.
MADA expresses its grave concern from the deterioration of media freedoms, particularly in the Gaza Strip after the closing of the offices of Ma'an, Alarabia TV, and Lens media Production Company, which is against the laws of Palestine, and is considered a flagrant violation of freedom of expression, guaranteed by international conventions and the Palestinian Basic Law. MADA calls on the Palestinian authorities to respect the right of expression, and demand the accountability of all those involved in such violations, and the reopening of the offices of Ma'an, Alarabia TV, and Lens media Production Company immediately.
Details of Violations:
(1/7) Israeli occupation forces IOF arrested Palestine News Network cameraman Mohammed Walid Al azza (23 years old), from his home in the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem, on Monday 1st July 2013, he was released after 11 days and paid bail of 1,500 Israeli shekels (approximately 420 US dollar). Al azza reported to MADA after his release, that the IOF investigated him on charges of possessing informational materials and video on the confrontations in the Aida refugee camp, which he said that this is normal because he is a journalist and holds a legal press card.
Al azza added: "Even the Israeli judge stated in court that there was no need to arrest me and he ordered my release, but the prosecution appealed and tried to fabricate other charges on me, but I was released for lack of evidence on the charges against me." It’s important to recall that Al azza was injured by a rubber bullet in the face fired deliberately by Israeli soldiers, during his coverage of the clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian youths in the Aida refugee camp on 8th April 2013.
(2/7) The Police prevented the Palestine Public TV crew (correspondent Safaa Alhabeel and Photographer Ayman Alswesi) from preparing a report on the water crises in Khan Younis district south of Gaza Strip, on Tuesday 2nd July 2013.
Alhabeel reported to MADA that she and her colleague headed towards eastern region of Khan Younis district, to prepare a report on the water crises in the area after an appeal from Palestinian citizens, where there were many media outlets present to cover the citizens’ protest in front of the municipality. After a half an hour of filming, the municipal policeman came and prevented from filming, and began to push the cameraman and forced them to enter the municipal building. Alhabeel added: "he began insulting me and the cameraman as well, then confiscated the tape from the camera, after that the police came and asked us to go to their headquarters in the eastern region. The police were understanding of our profession and apologized for what happened, and we stayed there for 4 hours in order to take the tape back".
(3/7) The IOF attacked a group of journalists when they were covering a protest demanding open Peteen village road leading to villages east of Ramallah, near the settlement of Beit El, on Wednesday 3rd July 2013.
Alhaya Aljadeda Newspaper photographer Essam Rimawi reported to MADA that the Israeli soldiers targeted journalists deliberately with gas bombs, insults, and beating. Where the IOF shot gas bombs at the journalists, where his colleague Palestine Public TV cameraman Fadi Jayyousi was hit by a bomb which caused him burns and bruises. The Associated Press photographers Imad Isaeed (45 years old) reported to MADA: “We received a call from the Popular Resistance Committee in order to cover the protest that will start from the village of Peteen towards the closed roads, and when we arrived there we started covering normally, and that’s when the IOF ignored the demonstrators and began assaulting and beating journalists, where most of the journalists fell to the ground and they are: Associated Press photographer Fadwa Hodali, she was injured after a sound bomb was shot between her legs. Reuters’ photographers Mohammed Turkmen and Saed Hawari, and freelance photographer Haitham al-Khatib were pushed by the IOF”. Isaeed adds: “one of the soldiers attacked and hit me and sprayed pepper gas on my back and pushed me on the ground more than once”. The French agency photographer Abbas Momeni (37 years old) reported to MADA that one of the soldiers assaulted him with the back of his rifle, and beat him on his chest, and that all journalists were targeted clearly during the protest.
(4/7) Anonymous people, who identified themselves as the al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) threatened the director of the Chinese News Agency office Imad Drimli, and freelance journalist Majed Abu Salama with "death and to cut their tongues" if they continued to express their opinions regarding the events in Egypt.
Darimli reported to MADA that he received a call from an anonymous that told him "you have a long tongue and it must be cut", and advised him not to write about the events in Egypt, or he would be shot. The Darimli reported that he received this call after he expressed his opinion about what is happening in Egypt via the social networks. He also reported that Majed Abu Salama was contacted by anonymous people, who identified themselves as the al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) and threatened him not to write about Egypt, saying to him: "Pay attention to your words, we will cut your tongue and fingers until you learn to think before writing."
(11/7) In Nablus, the IOF detained the crew of Alaqsa TV and Aljazeera TV for 3 hours, while they were on their way to prepare a report on cutting 1,000 olive trees from the village of Awarta, in the West Bank city of Nablus, the occupation forces, on Thursday 11th July 2013.
Alaqsa TV correspondent Tareq Abu Zeid reported to MADA that they received an invitation from the head of the village council to make a report on the cutting of olive trees. When they arrived, Israeli soldiers stopped them and confiscated their identity cards, Abu Zeid, the photographer and the head of the village council. The Israeli soldiers also confiscated the Identity cards of Aljazeera crew (Correspondence Sheren Abu Aqla, the photographer and his assistant), and they were asked to follow the soldiers to the Hawara camp. Abu Zeid added: "After we got to the camp we waited for 3 hours without interrogation, but the head of the village council was taken inside, then our identity cards were returned”.
(16/7) The Palestinian Preventive Security called the writer and freelance journalist Khaled Ma’ali for investigation at their headquarters in the town of Salfit, North of the West Bank, on Tuesday 16th July 2013. A family member of Ma’ali reported to MADA that Ma’ali received a call from the preventive security to go to their headquarters at 10 am, and when he went he was interrogated about his articles and professional work, where his detention lasted for a period of 4 hours and a half. The source also reported to MADA that “Ma’ali was not harmed or threatened, but the idea of calling him for investigation and interrogation caused him psychological pressure and undermined press freedoms”.
(16/7) the Israeli occupation forces attacked a group of journalists and dispersed their peaceful protest to claim their right to freedom of movement as part of the activities of the campaign "Palestinian journalists' freedom of movement", on Wednesday 16th July 2013, in front of the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah. The Israeli soldiers threw tear gas at journalists and prevented them from completing their peaceful protest, while they pushed some of the journalists.
Nida Younis a Journalists from ministry of information reported to MADA that the Israeli soldiers shot tear gas heavily on the journalists, where she was hit by one of the bombs that caused her skin severe redness. Wafa Agency photographer Mufeed Abu Hasna reported to MADA that the journalists were targeted by the occupation soldiers upon their arrival to the Qalandiya checkpoint. Abu Hasna added: "the IOF did not consider that we are journalists protesting to demand our rights. And a sound bomb exploded near my feet which injured me and I received treatment in the field by the Red Crescent crew".
A member of the General Secretariat at the journalists' syndicate Sanaad Sahlya reported that a sound bomb wounded him in the leg which caused him medium bruises and burns, and that two female journalists were injured as well they are: Naila Khalil, and aseel Al a’raj”.
(17/7) The Internal security prevented journalists from protesting in front of the Office of the High Representative in Gaza city, demanding an intervention in order to ensure the right of the Palestinian journalists of free movement, within the activities of the campaign "Palestinian journalists' freedom of movement," on Wednesday 17th July 2013. A member of the Secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate in Gaza Yousef Alostaz reported to MADA that he had received a call from internal security telling him not to allow journalists to carry out the protest, without explaining the reasons for it directly.
Noted that Hamas does not recognize the Syndicate, which is based in Ramallah, but recognizes the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate which was formed last year and based in Gaza.
(28/7) Israeli occupation forces arrested the correspondent of Hona Al Quds network for Community Media Ahmad Aruri, from his home in the village of Arura, north of Ramallah, on Sunday 28th July 2013. Aruri’s mother reported to MADA that the occupation forces came to their house at exactly two o'clock in the morning on Sunday, and searched it, also ordered all family members to stay in one room. She added: "After that, they took my son to another room to talk, and then they confiscated his computer and the hard disk, then they arrested him." Aruri’s mother also reported that she received a call on the same day from an Israeli human rights organization, who informed her that her son was being held in the Maskobya detention center in West Jerusalem, and so far she has no other information about him.
(30/7) Hamas Security forces seized the office keys of Ma’an and Al- Arabiya, preventing employees from entering their offices, on Tuesday 30th July 2013.
According to Ma’an agency editor-in-chief Nasser Al-laham who reported to MADA that Hamas security forces contacted the director of Ma’an’s office in Gaza, Imad Eid on 29th July 2013, and requested to hand over the office keys, but he refused to do so. Al-laham added: "the security summoned Mr. Eid on 30 July to their headquarters and demanded him to hand over the keys, but they refused to show him any official warrant that he must hand the keys. They also prevented any staff from entering the offices or to take anything from the office not even a pen."
Al-Arabiya correspondent Islam Abdel Kareem has reported to MADA that he had received a phone call in Tuesday from Hamas security forces and was called immediately to their headquarters, and when he went there, they asked him to hand over the keys to the office immediately, and not to allow any employee from entering the offices. Abdel Kareem added: "they did not talk to me or interrogate me regarding any news, and I did not receive any official warrant to hand over the keys, but they said that it is the implementation of the Attorney General's decision to close the office."
Ma'an News Agency has stated that the Attorney-General Counsel Ismail Jabr had issued an order on Thursday 25th July 2013, to close the offices of Ma'an and Alarabia TV in Gaza, on a temporary basis. The reason was “fabricating News, spreading rumors, and transmitting false information that is not reality of truth, which threatens civil peace and harms the Palestinian people and its resistance”.
The closer of Lens Company for Media Productions also on 25th July 2013 was for its work relationship with the Israeli news channel 124NEWS, according to an earlier decision of Hamas government which prohibits working with Israeli media.
