PCHR Condemns Attacks on Journalists and Media Institutions
Ref: 42/2007
Date: 20 June 2007
Time: 10:00 GMT
PCHR Condemns Attacks on Journalists and Media Institutions
PCHR strongly condemns increasing attacks on media institutions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in the context of the conflict between Hamas and Fatah movements. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Hamas and Fatah movements to take serious steps to stop such attacks which undermine the freedom of expression and the right to receive and impart information, which are a cornerstone of any democratic regime.
According to PCHR’s documentation, a number of media institutions known of connections to the two parties of the conflict and others were attacked by militants from the two parties or by unknown militants in areas that were under field control of the two parties. Such attacks included storming and robbing media offices, closing and damaging television and radio stations, preventing the distributions of newspapers, and other attacks that all undermine press freedoms.
In the Gaza Strip, militants stormed several media institutions linked with Fatah movement. They destroyed or robbed the equipment of those institutions.
On Monday morning, 11 June 2007, militants stormed and burnt a transmission station of Palestine Television in Abu Rahma building in ‘Omar al-Mukhtar Street in Gaza City.
On Wednesday, 13 June 2007, a number of militants stormed and robbed Watanona Media Center belonging to Fatah movement, which is located opposite to Jabalya police station in the northern Gaza Strip.
On Thursday, 14 June 2007, a number of militants stormed the headquarters of al-Horriya radio station, linked with Fatah movement, in al-Shoqouq building in Gaza City. They burnt the equipment. The radio station had already stopped broadcasting and its staff members had escaped before the attack as Hamas had seized control over the area. At the same time, al-Sabab radio station, also linked with Fatah movement, which is located in Palestine tower building, stopped broadcasting.
On the same day, a number of militants stormed the headquarters of Palestine Television – news department – in Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in the south of Gaza City. They stole the equipment and broke windows.
Also on the same day, a number of militants stormed the headquarters of Palestine Media Group, which is linked with Fatah movement and the owner of a news web site (Palmedia) and al-Shabab radio station. They stole the equipment and burnt the furniture. Consequently, the web site stopped.
On Friday, 15 June 2007, a number of militants stormed headquarters of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate in al-Wihda Street in Gaza City. They stole all electrical appliances and the furniture.
On Sunday, 17 June 2007, a number of militants stormed the headquarters of al-Sha’ab radio station of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in al-Basha tower building in Jamal ‘Abdul Nasser Street in Gaza City. They stole the equipment and furniture. It is worth noting that al-Sha’ab radio station stopped broadcasting two weeks ago due to a technical failure.
In the West Bank, militants affiliated to Fatah movement stormed media institutions known of their connection to or support for Hamas, in retaliation for the incidents in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday evening, 13 June 2007, a number of masked militants stormed and opened fire at offices of Mass Press, belonging to Mohammed Eshtaiwi who is known of affiliation to Hamas and the director of Siraj al-Aqsa Television, in Da’bas Mall in the north of Tulkarm.
On Thursday evening, 14 June 2007, a group of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an armed wing of Fatah movement) stormed an-Najjah press office belonging to Fareed Abu Zhuhair, a lecturer at an-Najjah National University known of his affiliation to Hamas, in Kmail Sa’d al-Din building in the center of Nablus. At the same time, another group of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades stormed al-Rowad press office belonging to Suhail Khalaf, on the fifth floor of ‘Antar building in the center of Nablus. The militants destroyed computer sets, windows and doors of the office.
On Friday morning, 15 June 2007, a number of militants from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades stormed the headquarters of Sana Television, linked with Hamas, on the first floor of al-‘Aalem building in the north of Nablus. They stole and destroyed equipment.
Also on Friday morning, a number of militants stormed the headquarters of al-Salam radio station, affiliated to Hamas, in the center of Qalqilya, and destroyed its equipment.
Also on Friday morning, a group of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, stormed offices of al-Israa’ Press, belonging to Ibrahim Sa’abna, in Abu Baker Street in the center of Jenin, and destroyed its equipment.
Also on Friday morning, a group of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades stormed Jabal al-Nar radio station on the eighth floor of ‘Aaloul and Abu Salha building in the center of Nablus. They destroyed or confiscated its equipment.
On Saturday morning, 16 June 2007, a number of masked militants intercepted a vehicle that was distributing al-Ayyam newspaper, published in Ramallah, and Palestine and al-Resala newspapers, published in Gaza and known of affiliation to Hamas. They confiscated and burnt all copies of issue 45 of Palestine newspaper and those of al-Resala newspaper. Since that day, al-Ayyam Press has stopped printing Palestine newspaper without giving reasons. The editor of Palestine newspaper, Mustafa al-Sawaf, told PCHR that al-Ayyam Press was threatened by unknown persons on 12 June 2007 not to print copies of Palestine newspaper. It is worth noting that Palestine newspaper print its copies for the West Bank at al-Ayyam Press in Ramallah.
On Sunday evening, 17 June 2007, a number of masked militants stormed the house of journalist Hasan al-Teeti and burnt the first floor of the house. The damages included cameras and transmission sets belonging to Palestine Media Center, an independent media center that is part of Palestinian Telecommunication Group. Al-Teeti told PCHR that his office is not linked with any single satellite channel and provides media services to all news agencies and satellite channels. He added that this attack was the outcome of incitement against the al-Jazeera Satellite Channel and its policies, and accusations of the channel of being bias to Hamas, although he is neither a correspondent nor a cameraman of the channel, rather he sometimes report to the channel on incidents in Nablus.
On Monday morning, 18 June 2007, a number of masked persons burnt the office of ‘Abdul Fattah ‘Azzam Shraim, 27, a correspondent of the local al-Ayyam newspaper in the center of Qalqilya. An hour later, Shraim traveled to his office to check the damages. On his way, his car was subject to intense gunfire. He was wounded by shrapnel to the head.
At approximately 09:00, the Palestinian police arrested Shraim from Rafidya Hospital in Nablus.
PCHR strongly condemns these attacks, and:
1) Warns of the impacts of such attacks which seriously undermine the freedom of expression and the right to receive and impart information.
2) Calls upon the PNA and all concerned parties to take serious steps to stop such attacks and neutralize journalists and media institutions from the conflict.