PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Press Release

Ref: 44/2008
Date: 11 May 2008
Time: 08:00 GMT

PCHR Condemns Detention of 3 Journalists and a Columnist by the Palestinian
General Intelligence in the West Bank

PCHR strongly condemns the distention of 3 Palestinian journalists and a
columnist by the Palestinian General Intelligence Service (GIS) in Bethlehem
and Qalqilya towns in the West Bank on Thursday, 8 May 2008. PCHR believes
that such arrests constitute an attack on press freedoms and the right to
freedom of expression, which are ensured by the Palestinian Basic Law and
international human rights instruments.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and the testimony of cameraman
Aseed 'Abdul Majeed 'Amarna, 23, at approximately 12:00 on Thursday, 8 May
2008, 'Amarna was photographing a march organized in Bethlehem on the 60th
anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (the uprooting of the Palestinian
people from their land in 1948). When the march arrived in al-'Azza refugee
camp, north of the town, a person wearing civilian clothes approached
'Amarna. He ordered him to stop photographing and to accompany him. When
that person knew that 'Amarna was photographing for the al-Aqsa Satellite
Channel of Hamas, 2 other persons came and confiscated the camera. The three
persons then pushed 'Amarna into a military vehicle and transported him to
the headquarters of the GIS in Bethlehem. According to 'Amarna, he was
sporadically interrogated about his work until 23:00. After 'Amarna had
shown the interrogators a court ruling acquitting him of previous charges
related to his work, and after the Head of the Palestinian Journalists'
Union, Na'im al-Tubassi, had intervened to ensure his release, 'Amarna was
eventually released at 23:30, but he was ordered to refer to the GIS on
Sunday, 11 May 2008. The interrogators seized his camera.

'Amarna had been arrested together with 'Alaa' al-Teeti, both working for
the al-Aqsa Satellite Channel, by the Preventive Security Service in Hebron
on 7 November 2007. On 24 April 2008, the District Court in Hebron acquitted
them of charges, following 6 court sessions to consider their case, "due to
the lack of evidence and the absence of eyewitnesses."

In the same context, the GIS arrested 2 journalists and a columnist in
Qalqilya. According to investigations conducted by PCHR and the testimony of
cameraman Mustafa 'Ali Sabri, 41, at approximately 22:30 on Thursday, 8 May
2008, Sabri received a phone call from a person who introduced himself as a
GIS officer and asked him where he was. Sabri offered to go the headquarters
of the GIS himself, but the caller insisted to know where he was.

Sabri told him that he was in the hosting house of Dr. Hashem al-Masri, a
member of the municipal council of Qalqilya. Soon, a number of GIS officers
arrived at the area. One of them phoned Sabri and asked him to get out and
he did. The officers arrested him and took him to the headquarters of the
GIS. Sabri was released on Saturday afternoon, 10 May 2008, but he was
ordered to refer to the GIS again on Monday, 12 May 2008. He told PCHR that
he was interrogated about the distribution of a leaflet in Qalqilya
criticizing Palestinian security services, and he denied any knowledge about
it. He added that he was subjected to cruel treatment during detention.
Sabri is a freelance journalist and a member of the municipal council of
Qalqilya.

At the same time, the GIS arrested Dr. 'Essam Mohammed Shawar, 42. According
to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 22:30 also on
Thursday, a number of GIS officers went to Shawar's house to arrest him, and
when they did not find him, they took the number of his mobile phone from
his wife. They phoned him and he informed them that he was in Kfar Saba
neighborhood. They went there and arrested him. Shawar is a dentist and also
a columnist in Palestine Daily, which is published in Gaza and whose
distribution in the West Bank has been banned for several months.

At approximately 23:00 on Thursday also, the GIS arrested Mohammed 'Omar
Darwish, 32, a cameraman of Associated Press and the owner of Marah studio
of photography, from his studio. They took him to the headquarters of the
GIS.

PCHR strongly condemns these attacks and:

1) Expresses utmost concern over the recurrence of violations of the
right to freedom of expression and press freedoms, and calls for providing
protection to journalists and the media to be able to work freely.
2) Stresses that the right to freedom of expression is ensured by the
Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments.

Public Document
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