MADA: Violations against freedom of press continued in April
Ramallah14th May 2014: witnessed extensive and serious violations against media freedoms in Palestine. The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) monitored violations from both the Israeli occupation forces - such as direct bullets shooting, hitting, prevention from covering events, traveling bans, detention and threatening of journalists - and from the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip - such as prevention from covering events, threats and interrogation of journalists.
Israeli Violations
An Israeli settler threw a big stone against the car of the editor in chief of the National Relations Commission website, Zaher Abu Hussein (46 years), while he was heading from Al-Jalazon refugee camp to Ramallah, on Sunday 6/4/2014.
On Monday 14/4/2014, the Israeli occupation forces detained three staff members of WAFA news agency, Hudaifa Srour (photographer), Yazan Taha (correspondent) and Fadi Kifaya (driver) while they were going to the village of Nabi Saleh to cover the peaceful demonstration organized there to protest the closure of the village’s entrance by the Israeli forces.
On Sunday 20/4/2014, the Israeli forces attacked journalists who were covering the settlers’ attacks on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. The journalists are Diala Jweihan (Al-Quds.net correspondent), Wael Salayme (Al-Jazeera cameraman), Mahfouz Abu Turk (AP photographer), Muna Qawasme (Al-Quds newspaper’s correspondent and photographer), and the freelancer photojournalist Sa’eed Al-Qaq.
On Tuesday 22/4/2014, the Israeli forces attacked Abdulhafiz Al-Hashlamoon (ABA photographer) while he was covering the clashes between Hebron university students and the Israeli army in Hebron. On the same day, the Israeli occupation also prevented Al-Aqsa correspondent, Suhaib Al-Asa (27 years) from traveling through Al-Karama crossing to attend Palestine Media Forum’s conference in Istanbul. On Friday 25/4/2014, the Israeli forces injured in the legs the photographer of Al-Anadoul news agency, Ma’ath Mish’al, while he was covering the weekly peaceful demonstration of Nabi Saleh.
On Thursday 24/4/2014, the Israeli occupation authoritiessent a letter to Wattan TV in Ramallah demanding that it immediately stop broadcasting or face actions.
Palestinian Violations
On Friday 4/4/2014, Palestinian intelligence service in Nablus summoned the photographer of Transmedia agency, Hazem Nasser (24 years), for investigation.
Al-Quds.com correspondent, Muhannad Al-Adam, received a direct murder threat via phone after he shared a photo of an Israeli settlements’ product that he took while covering a conference held by the Consumer Protection Association to announce Al-Quds Heritage and Creativity Festival 2014 on Monday 7/4/2014.
On Saturday 12/4/2014, plainclothes officers tried to prevent Filisteen Al Yom TV staff, Jihad Barakat (correspondent) and Hussni Abduljalil (cameraman), from covering activists protesting against an Indian dance show at Al-Qassaba theatre in Ramallah because the dancers had performed the same show in Tel Aviv.
In Gaza, on 3/4/2014, Oruba Othman, who worked at Al-Ra’i agency - which belongs to Hamas government received threats of punitive actions after she published a report in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar about the way Gaza security forces officers give Friday’s sermons in military uniform.
On Saturday 12/4/2014, a threatening letter was sent to journalist Saher Al-Aqra’, warning him not to work or deal with the journalists syndicate in Ramallah.
MADA condemns all types of violations against Palestinian journalists, and calls all international human rights organizations and governmental entities to take quick action to protect journalists and put pressure on the Israeli authorities to immediately stop violations as well as release journalist Mohammad Muna who started a hunger strike three weeks ago together with another hundred of administrative detainees.
MADA also demands an end to all kinds of Palestinian violations against journalists, and expresses its concern of violations committed by the Palestinian security forces on activists who peacefully expressed their rejection of the Indian dance performance, since it is a violation of their right of expression.
MADA welcomes the Palestinian reconciliation agreement, and hopes that it will positively affect the status of media freedoms in Palestine. A positive sign on that regard has been the resumption of the free distribution of Palestinian newspapers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Details of Violations:
(4/4) On Friday 4/4/2014, the Palestinian intelligence service in Nablus summoned for investigation Transmedia photographer, Hazem Nasser (24 years). Nasser told MADA that he had received a phone call from an intelligence investigator asking him to immediately to come to their office on Thursday 3/4 but Nasser was busy and asked to postpone the investigation to the next day. When Nasser went there, 5 investigators started interrogating him about his professional work, and especially his report on the “political arrests” committed after the funeral of Mohammad Hanbali.
Nasser said: “The investigation lasted for almost 6 hours. They threatened of putting me in jail and torturing me. Later on they released me and asked me to come back on Sunday. I went there at 9:30 am as requested and had to wait for an hour and a half until they started interrogating me on the same topics. I was released but asked to come back to the headquarter again on Monday 21/4/2014. On Monday, I reached the intelligence headquarter at 9:30 am and had to wait again until 1:00 pm. One of the investigators asked for my journalism ID and my cell phone and when he gave them back to me later on he said: “watch out for yourself and put your hands off stuff that are none of your business”.
(6/4) On Sunday 6/4/2014, an Israeli settler threw a big stone against the car of the National Relations Commission website chief editor, Zaher Abu Hussein (46 years), while he was driving to Ramallah from Al-Jalazoun refugee camp. Abu Hussein reported to MADA that while he was driving near the Israeli control tower of the Bet El settlement near ramallah, an Israeli settler threw a massive stone on his car which hit the rear window and broke it. Abu Hussain added: “I informed the Palestinian police and the Palestinian military liaison office, and they informed the Israeli military liaison office.”
(7/4) On Monday 7/4/2014, Al-Quds.com correspondent, Muhannad Al-Adam, received a direct murder threat via phone after he shared a photo of an Israeli settlements product that he took while covering a conference held by the Consumer Protection Association to announce Al-Quds Heritage and Creativity Festival 2014 in Arram town, north Jerusalem, on Monday 7/4/2014.Al-Adam reported to MADA that while he was covering the conference he noticed that the catering contained Israeli settlements products so he took a photo of it which he published on Al-Quds.comwith a full report on settlements goods. Al-Adam added: “After publishing the report, I got a phone call from a person called A’hed Qanam who cursed me and threatened to murder me. I don’t know if it’s his real name but I am sure that this person is sent by an official party. The undersecretary of the ministry of Jerusalem Affairs denied what I’ve published in my report in her facebook page, and said that it’s a fabricated story, which can be considered as libel against me”. Al-Adam pointed out that some people tried to prevent him from publishing the report, claiming that it was offensive to Jerusalem, and later on asked the website to withdraw the report, but the website editors refused.”
(12/4) On Saturday 12/4/2014, plainclothes officers tried to prevent Filisteen Al Yom TV staff, Jihad Barakat (correspondent) and Hussni Abduljalil (cameraman), from covering activists protesting against an Indian dance show at Al-Qassaba theatre in Ramallah because this group had performed the same show in Tel Aviv. Barakat reported to MADA that he went to cover the show, which was supposed to start at 8:00 pm, and at around 8:30 the protests started. Four people were arrested. Barakat added: “While we were filming this event, one of the security officers in plainclothes attacked us and hit and took by force our video camera. I then went inside the theater and continued filming with my own cell phone. Ramallah governorate Ms. Laila Ghannam was there and promised me that we will get the camera back.” Barakat added: “When I went out to look for my colleague, two of the security forces attacked me and accused me of instigating the protests because I was filming. One of them pinched my arm and the other one put his palm on my face to threaten me but he didn’t hit me. At that moment, two men in plainclothes introduced themselves as members of the security forces and protected me. The lieutenant colonel Ashraf Motlaq, from Ramallah’s Police Public Relations office gave me back the camera without deleting any recording.”
(12/4) On Saturday 12/4/2014, journalist Saher Al-Aqra’ received an anonymous threatening letters warning him not to work with the journalists syndicate in Ramallah. One of these letters read: “We warn you not to deal or work with the syndicate of the corrupted 'Journalists’ of Ramallah’s authorities. You have a baby girl, do you want to see her growing or to become an orphan??? We won’t send you other letters but will react with acts.”
(13/4) Journalist Oruba Othman, who worked at Al-Ra’i agency - that belongs to Hamas - received threats of punitive actions after she published a report in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar on 3/4/2014 about how the security forces officers give Friday’s sermons in military uniform.Othman reported to MADA that on 3rd April 2014 “I published my report titled “Gaza’s security officers are preachers in Gaza’s mosques” in The Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper, then Iyad Albazamthe Spokesman of the Hamas Ministry of Interior posted on his facebook that “ the report is full of lies”, then I was exposed to libel allegations against me as well as threatening letters sent to my facebook, and someone called “Raed Abu Jarad” from the Ministry of Interior who commented on a post I made on facebook saying that I “spit in the plate I eat from” because I work as part of a project in the Government media center, as well as other threats byanonymous people”.
Othman added:“In response to the report, I was informed by the Legal Affairs that my contract at the government media center will not be renewed, which is considered punitive procedures against me, and the Ministry of Interior submitted a complaint against me and that there will be a law suit against me by the public prosecutor”. She mentioned that The Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper had published a clarification that the introduction to the report which says (slowly fascism makes its way to Gaza, after a number of bizarre laws imposed by Hamas ......) was added by the editor of newspaper.
(14/4) On Monday 14/4/2014, the the Israeli occupation forces detained WAFA staff, Hudaifa Srour (photographer), Yazan Taha (correspondent) and Fadi Kifaya (driver), while they were heading to Nabi Saleh village to cover the peaceful demonstration organized by the villagers against the closure of the village’s entrance by the Israeli forces. Srour reported to MADA that while his colleagues and himself were driving in the main street at around 3:30 pm, the Israeli soldiers attacked their car and stopped them. Srour added: “They treated us as if we entered a military camp, they took our IDs and got us out of the car to inspect it, they also took the equipment from the car and threw it on the ground, and broke the driver’s private cell phone. They forced us to bow on our knees while shouting at us “Where are you going?”. They also cursed us using bad and vulgar words. One of them pointed his gun at my forehead because I couldn’t stay on my knees, and when I explained that it was because of my health condition, he told me to “Shut up” in Hebrew. Hudaifa continued: “After almost half an hour of detention, they asked the correspondent and I to leave the place by walking, and threatened us to shoot at us if we didn’t obey. At the same time the driver was detained with our equipment until 7:00 pm.
(20/4) On Sunday 20/4/2014, the Israeli occupation forces attacked the journalists Diala Jweihan (Al-Quds.net correspondent), Wael Salayme (Al-Jazeera cameraman), Mahfouz Abu Turk (AP photographer), Muna Qawasme (Al-Quds newspaper’s correspondent and photographer) and Sa’eed Al-Qaq (freelancer photojournalist) while they were covering the settlers’ attacks on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Jweihan reported to MADA that she went with her colleagues to cover the settlers’ assault that started at 8:00 am on Sunday 20/4/2014 but the soldiers attacked all the journalists that were there. The photojournalist Sa’eed Al-Qaq (28 years) was hit by stick on his back which made him fall to the ground. He was later transported to Al-Maqased hospital, the medics found that he had some bruises on his body. Wael Salayme and Mahfouz Abu Turk were pushed while they were standing on a high place to film the soldiers while checking women’s IDs. One Israeli soldier pushed Salayme and forced him and Abu Turk to lay down. Al-Qawame was pushed away by the Israeli forces as well. Jweihan added: “I faced two violations on the same day, the first one was while I was photographing a settler teasing Palestinian citizens. When a soldier came and put his hand on my camera, I pushed the soldier to defend me and my job. Then the settler shouted louder demanding the Israeli soldier to arrest me. The second violation was while I was photographing the IDF violations against the citizens, where one soldier attacked me and tried to arrest me, but two men held him and stopped him from arresting me. The soldier told me that photography was forbidden. I replied that I am a journalist and I am doing my job. I showed him my journalist ID and he apologized to me.”
(22/4) On Tuesday 22/4/2014, the Israeli occupation authorities prevented Al-Aqsa TV correspondent, Suhaib Al-Asa (27 years) from traveling through Al-Karama crossing to attend Palestine Media Forum’s conference in Turkish city Istanbul. Al-Asa reported to MADA that he had received an invitation from the organizers to attend the conference but when he reached the Israeli checkpoint, the Israeli intelligence services summoned him and prevented him from traveling. Al-Asa added: “then a soldier told me that I was banned from traveling, and asked me to wait until he brings my bags and papers to go back home. I had to wait for four hours and a half until they gave me my bags back.”
(22/4) On Tuesday 22/4/2014, the Israeli occupation forces attacked Abdulhafiz Al-Hashlamoon (ABA photographer) while he was covering the clashes between Hebron university students and the occupation army in Hebron.Al-Hashlamoon reported to MADA that one soldier deliberately threw a teargas bomb at him and injured his left leg. Al-Hashlamoon added: “The injury was deep and from a close distance (around 10-15 meters), I was transferred to Hebron hospital for treatment.”
(24/4) On Thursday 24/4/2014, the Israeli occupation authorities sent a letter to Wattan TV in Ramallah city demanding that it immediately stop broadcasting, or otherwise face actions. Wattan TV’s general manager, Moammar Orabi, reported to MADA that he feared a raid of the TV headquarter by the occupation forces, but stressed that he would not stop the broadcasting since the TV is officially licensed by the Palestinian ministry of Communications and IT and the broadcasting frequencies are legal. Orabi added: “We brought experts in the field of frequencies and they assured us that the frequencies do not pose a threat to Israeli security as they claim, their allegations are incorrect, and their goal is to obstruct the Palestinian media institutions from functioning, which constitutes an infringement of freedom of expression.”
(25/4) On Friday 25/4/2014, theIsraeli occupation forcesinjured the photographer of Anadoul Turkish news agency, Ma’ath Mish’al, in his legs while he was covering the weekly peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah. Mish’al reported to MADA that the IOF threw a box containing 12 metal bullets covered with rubber toward him. Mish’al added: “I was deliberately shot at from a very close distance by one Israeli soldier. 10 bullets hit me in my left leg and two in my right leg.” Mish’al was transferred to Ramallah hospital for treatment.
