Occupied Ramallah, 14 March 2013- Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association is deeply concerned by the sharp increase in the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF)’s detention of reporters and journalists in the West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem, particularly since the beginning of 2013. The IOF has been arresting journalists and reporters without clear and specific charges in an attempt to silence their voices and deprive them of their rights to free speech and expression.
Addameer has documented 13 cases in which journalists have been detained in the Occupation‘s prisons. The majority of detained journalists were arrested this year, with 6 journalists detained during the first three months of 2013, compared with 2 such detentions in 2012. This is in addition to a journalist being held under house arrest in Jerusalem. This journalist has also been banned from entering the West Bank.
The names of detained journalists, listed chronologically in terms of date of arrest, are as follows:
Journalist and prisoner Yaseen Abu Khadeer, from Shofat/Jerusalem. He is the longest-serving detained Palestinian journalist. He was arrested on 27 December 1987 and faces a prison sentence of 28 years. At the time of his arrest, he worked for Al-Quds newspaper.
Journalist and prisoner Mahmoud Issa, from Anata/Jerusalem. He faces the longest sentence of all detained journalists. He was arrested on 6 March 1993 and was dealt three life sentences and a sentence of 41 years. He used to work for the newspaper "Right and Freedom," which is published in the 1948 Territories.
Journalist and prisoner Muhammad Al-Taj, Tubas/Jenin. He has been detained since 19 November 2003 and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. He worked as a writer and journalist with the Palestinian Liberation Front.
Journalist and prisoner Ahmad Al-Sifi, from Birzeit/Ramallah. He is a student at Birzeit University and was studying journalism and media until he was detained on 19 August 2009. He is currently serving a 19 year sentence.
Journalist and detainee Amer Abu Arfa, from Al-Khalil (Hebron). He has been held in administrative detention since 20 August 2011 without charge or trial, and worked as a correspondent for Shehab News Agency.
Journalist and detainee Sharif Al-Rujoob, from Al-Khalil (Hebron). Detained since 3 June 2012, he is still awaiting trial. Before his arrest, he worked for the radio station "Voice of Al-Aqsa" in Al-Khalil.
Journalist and detainee Murad Abu Al-Bahaa, from Ramallah. Detained since 15 June 2012, he is still awaiting trial. He was a reporter in the Palestinian Legislative Council office in Ramallah.
Journalist and detainee Anan Ajawi (28 years old), from ‘Aja/Jenin. He was detained on 16 January 2013 while passing through Al-Karamah crossing as he was returning from Egypt, where he was working as a journalist for a number of associations. He is currently being held without charge or trial.
Journalist and detainee Muhammad Sabana, from Qabatiya/Jenin. He was detained on 17 February 2013 at Al-Karamah crossing as he was returning from Jordan. He is currently being held in interrogation and works as a cartoonist.
Journalist and detainee Musab Shawer, from Al-Khalil (Hebron). He was detained on 25 February 2013 and currently remains in detention without charge or trial. Before his arrest, he worked as a broadcaster for a special radio show about prisoners on Al-Khalil Radio.
Journalist and detainee Baker Atili (27 years old), from Nablus. He was detained on 6 March 2013 and is currently being held without charge or trial. Before his arrest, he worked as an independent photographer and producer for a number of satellite and television channels.
Journalist and detainee Tareq Abu Zaid, from Jenin. He was detained on 8 March 2013 and is currently being held for interrogation. Before his arrest, he worked as a correspondent for Al-Aqsa satellite channel.
Journalist and detainee Waleed Khaled, from Sakaka/Salfit. He was detained on 10 March 2013 and is currently being held for interrogation. Before his arrest, he worked as office manager for the newspaper Palestine Today.
It is also worth mentioning that journalist Rasim Abeedat has been denied entry to the West Bank since 30 January 2012. No reasons have been given for this ban, which is in stark violation of international laws and conventions concerning the freedom of journalists.
This is all in addition to the permanent targeting of journalists during their coverage of events in the occupied Palestinian territories. It has been noted in the recent past that IOF soldiers are evidently and systematically aiming to injure journalists, photographers, and cameramen in order to prevent them from transmitting the realities of Occupation to the international community. It is worth mentioning here the cases of journalist photographer Atta Eweesat and reporter Mahfouz Abu Turk, who were directly fired upon with tear gas canisters and rubber bullets by IOF soldiers in occupied Jerusalem last Friday, 8 March 2013. Photographer Haythem Al-Khateeb also suffered direct injuries in the village of Bil‘in, West of Ramallah. Journalist photographer Jihad Al-Khateeb was also shot in his stomach during his coverage of clashes at Ofer checkpoint, near Ramallah.
Addameer strongly condemns the IOF‘s continuous persecution of journalists, affirming that this constitutes a clear violation of their legal, professional, and humanitarian rights. This campaign also represents a flagrant infringement of all laws and international norms and conventions which guarantee freedom of opinion and expression. Addameer believes that the targeting of Palestinian journalists by the IOF is part of a deliberate plan to create a lack of Palestinian journalists in the field of media, both on local and global scales.
Addameer deplores the silence of international institutions regarding the direct targeting and detention of Palestinian journalists, and calls for the application of increased pressure on the Occupation to immediately release reporters and journalists detained in the Occupation‘s jails.
ACT NOW!
*Write to the Israeli government, military and legal authorities and demand the release of Palestinian journalists.
- Brigadier General Danny Efroni
Military Judge Advocate General
6 David Elazar Street
Harkiya, Tel Aviv
Israel
Fax: +972 3 608 0366; +972 3 569 4526
Email: [email protected]; [email protected] - Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon
OC Central Command Nehemia Base, Central Command
Neveh Yaacov, Jerusalam
Fax: +972 2 530 5741 - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak
Ministry of Defense
37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya
Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
Fax: +972 3 691 6940 / 696 2757 - Col. Eli Bar On
Legal Advisor of Judea and Samaria PO Box 5
Beth El 90631
Fax: +972 2 9977326
*Write to your own elected representatives urging them to pressure Israel to release Palestinian journalists.