MADA monitored 13 violations against journalists during the month of June, with a noted decrease in the number of attacks stemming from Palestinian security services.
(MADA/IFEX) – Ramallah, 7 July 2011 – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) monitored 13 violations against journalists in the occupied Palestinian territories during the month of June 2011. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) committed the majority of violations, while a number were committed by Palestinian security services. This indicates that Palestinian journalists are still suffering and subjected to serious risks while performing their professional work.
The IOF continued to obstruct the work of journalists through various procedures such as arrests, detentions, assault, and restrictions on travel. In early June, IOF personnel detained Al-Quds newspaper and Bokra Net correspondents Muna Alqawasmi and Maisa’ Abu Ghazalah, respectively, while they were covering the Israeli “AlQuds United” festival in memory of the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, in the AlAqsa mosque courtyard in Jerusalem. The IOF also detained the Radio Bethlehem 2000 director, George Kanawati, while he was covering the IOF raid on Al-Quds Open University in Beit Sahour on Wednesday 22 June. On Sunday 19 June, the IOF detained cameraman Moayad Alashkar and prevented him from filming in front of Khdori University in Tulkarem, North West Bank.
An Israeli soldier deliberately hurled a tear gas projectile at Europe Agency photographer Wajdi Ishtyeh, while he was covering one of the weekly marches against settlement, causing contusions and burns. Ishtyeh was taken directly to hospital for treatment. On Sunday 26 June, Israeli occupation authorities banned Alnajah University media teacher and columnist, Fareed Abu Dheir, from travelling to a UNESCO conference on scientific journalism in Qatar. Quds TV program coordinator Nawaf Al-Amer was also arrested at his home in Nablus City, West Bank, on 28 June.
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