The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) condemns the escalation of violations against media freedoms in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which have increased significantly over the past few days.
The Palestinian General Intelligence Service had kidnapped the freelance journalist SAMI SAEED ALSAAI (43 years old) at around 12:00PM yesterday, Monday, in Nablus, and took him to an unknown place. According to the journalist’s wife, four masked men dressed in black came to the journalist’s workplace in two cars, one of which had yellow license plates, and kidnapped him at gunpoint.
MADA also strongly condemns the attack by members of the internal security of Hamas government in Gaza Strip against journalists in Gaza Strip while covering the peaceful demonstrations that took place therein, calling for an improvement in the living conditions of citizens. Individuals in civilian clothes – identifying themselves as members of the Internal Security Service – assaulted Palestine TV and Abu Dhabi TV reporter, journalist WALID ABDEL RAHMAN, while covering the peaceful event in Jabalia Camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, last Sunday. They insulted him and forced him to stop the coverage.
In the same context, the freelance journalist EHAB AL-FASFOUS was threatened by the investigation and internal security members while covering the same event in Khan Younes, southern Gaza Strip.
MADA expresses its deep concern and condemnation of the escalation of flagrant violations against media freedoms, which are now being carried out by members of the security services in civilian clothes. At this important stage and at a time when voices are rising from inside and outside to achieve unity and end division, MADA reiterates its condemnation of all that target journalists and media freedoms, in terms of persecution and attacks that have not stopped in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
MADA further calls on the Palestinian governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to stop infringing on media freedoms and to stop prosecuting journalists given their important role in providing information to citizens. It also calls for accountability for the perpetrators of attacks on media freedoms and their impunity.
