15th August 2013 – Ramallah: The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) demands the release of “Qud press News Agency” correspondent Mohamed  Mona who was arrested by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on 7th August 2013, from his home in Nablus in the West Bank, “Watan TV” cameraman Mohamed Awad who was arrested by the IOF from his home in Budrus village west of Ramallah on Tuesday 13th August 2013. 

The journalists Mohamed Mona’s brother reported to MADA that the IOF came to their home and questioned about Mohamed, then they searched the home and arrested Mohamed, in addition they confiscated his computer, cell phone, and some papers. Mona was transferred to administrative arrest for 6 months on Tuesday 13th August 2013 without directing any charges against him.

“Watan TV” reported in a press release that the IOF arrested their  camera man Mohamed Awad from his home in Budrus in the early hours on Tuesday morning, where they brutally broke into his house and took him to an unknown destination.

MADA denounces the policy of detaining journalists, which is against all international human rights conventions. And MADA urges the international community to pressure Israel to release the journalists detained in prisons and stop the policy of administrative detention for journalists, where they are imprisoned without charges or fair trial, such as the journalists Walid Khaled (arrested on 6th March 2013) and Baker Attili (arrested on 10th August 2013).