Media freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territories suffered a setback in June 2012, due to Israel's continued policy of targeting journalists.
(MADA/IFEX) – Ramallah, 11 July 2012 – Media freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territories suffered a setback in June 2012, due to Israel’s continued policy of targeting journalists, and due to fading hopes for the implementation of the Palestinian reconciliation agreements, which was reflected in an negative impact on media freedoms. Moreover, the violations committed against journalists by various parties continued last month.
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) monitored the disturbing violations against journalists – most notably the Iraeli occupation’s on-going policy of arresting journalists, extending their administrative detention and preventing them from covering events.
On the Palestinian side, the level of media freedoms fell for the second consecutive month, due to violations committed by various Palestinian parties in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israeli occupation violations:
Israeli occupation forces arrested Hebron’s Al-Aqsa Radio correspondent Sharif Alrjoub on Sunday, 3 June 2012. Israeli authorities also extended the administrative detention of Palestine News Network (PNN) and Al Kaleej Emirates newspaper correspondent Amin Abu Wardeh, for another four months, on Sunday, 10 June 2012.
Israeli occupation forces threw a tear gas grenade at Watan TV correspondent Nibal Farsakh during her coverage of the anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip near Israel’s Ofer prison, south of Ramallah, on Tuesday, 5 June 2012. They also prevented journalists who held local press cards from covering the events of the weekly march against the settlement in the village of Nabi Saleh, west of Ramallah, on Friday, 8 June 2012.
In Hebron, Israeli occupation forces detained Al-Aqsa TV cameraman Osaid Amarneh for two hours while he was covering the events of the anniversary of the occupation, on Tuesday, 5 June 2012.
