Ramallah – 26th March 2014: The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) is concerned by the harassment of Ayman Mustafa Ala’loul (42 years old) the correspondent at Alforat Iraqi TV, and the continues confiscation of his personal identification card by the police in Gaza, after he was summoned for interrogation on 24th March 2014, after his report that criticized Hamas’ festival to honor martyrs in Saraya Square on 23rd March 2014.

Ala’loul reported to MADA that he was summoned by the Investigation department in Gaza by telephone to come to the police headquarters in Alrimal Area. He added: “When I got there they took my identification card and told me to return the next day at 9 am. When I went back the next day they began interrogating me about my work in a friendly way, and then I was transferred to Aljawazat police station, and stayed there until the evening, where I received bad treatment and stayed in a cramped and solitary confinement room without food or a drink. After that I had to sign a pledge to abide by Islamic ethics, customs and traditions then I was released, and until this moment I didn’t recover my identification card, and MADA’s lawyer is now helping me to recover it”.

MADA condemns the prosecution of Ala’loul and demands an end to it and to return his Identification card, and we emphasize on the need to respect freedom of expression in Palestine, and to enable journalists to work freely.

Picture source:Al'loul Youtube channel