28 Journalists Detained in the Occupations' Prisons
The Journalist Support Committee condemns the arrest of journalist Thaer Shreith

The Journalist Support Committee condemned the continued arbitrary arrests of journalists and media personnel by the Israeli occupation in an attempt to "silence" the free voices and prevent journalists from covering the occupation's violations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement issued on Thursday morning, March 29, 2018, the Israeli army arrested journalist Thaer Shreith, director of information at the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, from his home in the West Bank village of Mazra'a, Ramallah and Al-Bireh.

On January 24, journalist Bakr Abdel Haq, a correspondent for Palestine Television in Nablus, was arrested on his return from traveling through the Karameh border crossing and transferred him to investigations the Russian Compound in the occupied city of Jerusalem. Not only did the occupation arrest him, but also prevented him from meeting with his lawyer, in addition to storming his house a few days ago and seizing all his belongings from the house, especially after the extension of his detention for 11 days.

The Israeli occupation forces arrested the media student at An-Najah University, Ola Marshoud (21 years old), from Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Nablus after being summoned for an interview and interrogated for several hours. 

The Committee noted that after the arrest of Shreith, Bakr, and Marshoud, the number of journalists detained increased to 28 journalists, noting that the number of detainees in Israeli prisons fluctuates in accordance with the arrest campaigns launched by the occupation authorities against journalists.

The Committee clarified that the occupation is still detaining 6 sentenced journalists, namely: Mahmoud Issa, Salah Awad, Ahmed Al-Saifi, Hammam Atili, Yusuf Shalabi, Munzer Khalaf Mufleh.

Six other journalists are still being administratively detained and their administrative detention has been renewed several times under the charge of incitement: Nidal Abu Akkar, Hammam Hantash, Mohammed Shukri Awad, Abdulla Shatat, Estabrak Al Tamimi and Bushra Al Taweel.

On the other hand, 17 journalists remain arrested awaiting trial: the injured journalist Bassam al-Sayeh, Ahmad al-Darawish, Nidal Omar, Montaser Nassar, Hamed al-Namoura, Mus'ab Sa'id, Ayoub Mazuz Sawan, Mahmoud Abu Hashhash, Radwan Qatanani, Yasin Abu Lefah, Musa Al-Qatmani, Ahmed Al-Arabid, Yasser Al-Arabid, Abdul Mohsen Shalaldeh, Ola Marshoud, Bakr Abdul Haq, Thaer Shreitah.

In an attempt to prevent journalists from carrying out their duty and restricting their basic rights to press coverage guaranteed by international laws, the Journalist Support Committee in Palestine affirms the following:

"We affirm that what was carried out by the occupation of crimes against media, awaits the pursue of the guardians of freedom of the press, media, publishing and printing outlets, it also calls for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2222, which guarantees the protection of journalists.

We express our deep condemnation of the unprecedented daily attacks perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against journalists, media workers, and media outlets in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

We deplore the occupation's way of re-arresting freed journalists, especially after the arrest under vague pretexts of journalists Mahmoud Asida and Mohammed al-Qaiq after they were granted freedom, in contravention of the UN Security Council resolution guaranteeing the protection of journalists.

We call on international and human rights organizations to exert pressure for the release of 28 Palestinian journalists and media activists who are still being held in Israeli jails and to intervene to end the policy of detaining and arresting journalists while carrying out their press duties.

We call for the international community to protect journalists and media workers in Palestine and put an end to impunity and to prosecute all those involved in the murders and assaults on journalists and the attacks on media outlets in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

We deplore and denounce the occupation's policy by following the method of extending the administrative detention of a number of journalists who are detained in Israeli jails without charge and arresting others under vague pretexts.

We stress the importance of the press and its role in promoting democracy and human rights and exposing violations of the occupation. We urge the need to exercise free press, in conformity with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 19 of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that the occupation must respect its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Additional Protocol on the Protection of Journalists as Civilians. "

Journalist Support Committee - Palestine
29 March 2018