(RSF/IFEX) – According to information released by RSF on 12 May 1998, Abbas Momeni (spelled as Moumani in IFEX alert of 11 May), a Palestinian photojournalist and freelance stringer for Reuters, has been detained for more than a week by Palestinian police, without any charges having been laid against him. The 25-year old journalist, a […]
(RSF/IFEX) – According to information released by RSF on 12 May 1998, Abbas
Momeni (spelled as Moumani in IFEX alert of 11 May), a Palestinian
photojournalist and freelance stringer for Reuters, has been detained for
more than a week by Palestinian police, without any charges having been laid
against him. The 25-year old journalist, a resident of Ramallah, in the West
Bank, was arrested on 5 May at his Ramallah office by two Palestinian
General Intelligence (GI) agents. Since then, Momeni has been subjected to
torture by Palestinian security forces, including whippings with electric
cables and sleep and food deprivation.
**This alert contains information further to IFEX alert of 11 May 1998**
After five days of detention, during which time he was denied visits from
both his family and lawyer, Momeni attempted to escape by jumping from the
third floor of the building housing the security branch of the police force,
where he was being held. The fall resulted in a broken leg, and Momeni was
recaptured in the hospital by police.
Momeni’s interrogation and torture are connected to a video cassette by the
Islamic
Resistance Movement (Hamas), which Momeni’s office received on 8 April 1998.
In the video, a masked man claiming to be Adel Awadallah, a leader of the
armed wing of Hamas, accuses those in charge of Palestinian Security of
having assassinated Hamas’ bomb disposal expert, Mohieddine Sharif, on 29
March 1998. Momeni had already been interrogated by police about the
cassette. After the cassette was circulated, the Reuters office in Gaza was
closed for several days by the Palestinian police, who accused the press
agency of “spreading information prejudiced against Palestinian society.”
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
intimidation
of journalists in the territories under Palestinian administration
Appeals To
Mr. Yasser Arafat
President of the Palestinian National Authority
Gaza
Fax: +972 7 823 744
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
