On Wednesday morning, 20 January 2010, the Palestinian Centre for Human
Rights’ (PCHR) Democratic Development Unit (DDU), in cooperation with the
National Association for Democracy and Law (NADL), organized a new workshop on
“the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression under the Palestinian National
Authority (PNA) Rule” in NADL’s head office in Rafah. A number of journalists and activists in
civil society organizations in Rafah were in attendance.

Salah Abu Hatab, a social activist, facilitated the workshop. Mahmoud
al-Efranji, a researcher at DDU, presented a paper on “the Right to Freedom of
Opinion and Expression under International Law and Palestinian Legislations.”
‘Imad Mohsen, a media specialist, also presented a paper on “the Status of the
Freedom of Opinion and Expression under PNA Rule.” Then participants were
allowed to engage in discussions on the concept of the freedom of opinion and
expression, international standards and domestic laws that regulate the freedom
of opinion and expression and the status of the right to freedom of opinion and
expression under the PNA rule.

It should be noted that this workshop is a part of a series of
activities organized by PCHR in order to enhance and promote democracy in the
Palestinian society, in cooperation with local civil society organizations.
This workshop aims at raising public awareness of the concepts of democracy and
means of reinforcing democracy in the Palestinian society. Such activities are
increasingly urgent in light of Palestinian citizens’ deteriorating trust in
the democratic process as a result of the international community’s boycott of
the last legislative elections’ results and due to the internal division and
its destructive ramifications on the Palestinian cause.