Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA)

(MADA/IFEX) – Ramallah, February 2012 – The New Year did not begin well for journalists in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) with widespread violations in January, particularly towards the end of the month. Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) launched an extensive campaign of violence and harassment against journalists, with incidences of journalists being targeted with rubber […]

Israeli forces raided the house of Suhaib Al-A’sa, arrested him and confiscated his mobile phones, recorder and his camera’s memory cards.

Twenty-nine IFEX members have signed a letter to the Prosecutor General about the detention of editor Igor Vinyavsky, whose detention is believed to be politically motivated, calling for him to be released and for the evidence leading to his arrest to be made public.

Rami Samara was arrested and held for over three hours after writing critical comments about a PLO meeting on his Facebook page.

The accusations came in response to MADA’s report documenting the media freedoms violations in the region during December 2011, which found that the number of Palestinian violations in Gaza exceeded those of the West Bank.

Violations by Israeli forces against journalists in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) rose in number in the month of December, with journalists being frequently targeted with tear gas grenades.

The Gaza Strip’s Freedoms Committee spokesperson Khaled Al-Batsh stated that previously banned newspapers in the West Bank and Gaza will be distributed without restrictions as of 15 January 2012.

A MADA representative stressed the need for urgent international intervention to end violations against journalists and media institutions.