(RSF/IFEX) – On 8 October 2001, in Gaza, police prevented journalists from covering an anti-American demonstration until it ended. Press freedom violations have increased in the Territories under Palestinian authority since the beginning of the international crisis caused by the terrorist attacks on the United States. “We fear that the Palestinian authority is taking advantage […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 8 October 2001, in Gaza, police prevented journalists from covering an anti-American demonstration until it ended. Press freedom violations have increased in the Territories under Palestinian authority since the beginning of the international crisis caused by the terrorist attacks on the United States. “We fear that the Palestinian authority is taking advantage of the international media’s focus on the American response to increasingly repress the right to information. Local and international media should be allowed to cover the reactions of the Palestinian people, whatever they might be,” stated RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard.
That same day, a cameraman with the French television channel TF1 was arrested for three hours and at least four journalists were beaten. During this demonstration, which was declared illegal by the police, two Palestinians were killed. Journalists were also banned from covering incidents which occurred after the funeral of one of the two victims. Also that same day, the Palestinian Authority decided to ban, in the territories under its control, interviews of Palestinians on the subject of the attack launched by the United States in Afghanistan. “We don’t want anything which could undermine our image,” explained a high official who requested anonymity. Since 9 October, access to Gaza is forbidden to foreigners, including foreign journalists. The Palestinian Authority justified this measure by explaining that it was not able to secure the safety of foreigners against possible attacks.
Since the terrorist attacks on the United States, seeking not to shock international public opinion any further, the Palestinian Authority has tried to stop all coverage of Palestinian reactions. On 11 September, the police forces and armed gunmen prevented journalists in Nablus from covering celebrations following the attacks on New York and Washington. On 14 September, five journalists were detained by the Palestinian police. They were covering a demonstration in the Nusseirat refugee camp in memory of the perpetrator of the 9 September suicide-bomb attack in Nahariya, Israel. A photographer and an editor from Reuters, an Associated Press TV cameraman, the correspondent for the Abu Dhabi satellite television channel and an Agence France-Presse photographer were released one and a half hours after the police had seized their tapes and films. During this commemoration, a portrait of Osama ben Laden was held up by young people. On 18 September, in Bethlehem, Palestinian police announced the implementation of new regulations concerning Palestinian television and radio stations. They were instructed not to broadcast news items concerning calls for a general strike, nationalist activities, demonstrations or security news without permission from the police or national security services.
