Ref: 33/2011

On Thursday, 19 May 2011, the Democratic
Development Unit of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) organized a
panel discussion on “Mechanisms of Protection Provided to Media
Professionals in Time of War,” in cooperation with the Youth Media
Assembly in al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. The panel
discussion took place at the Assembly’s office, and 20 members of different
media institutions and activists of the Assembly were in attendance.

Journalist Abdul Allah Othman, Director of the
Assembly, opened the discussion. He
welcomed cooperation with PCHR and its role of raising awareness of media
professionals regarding their rights. Othman talked about the role played by the Assembly to follow up media
professionals’ affairs and about the Assembly’s goals.

Mr. Mahmoud al-Efranji, a researcher in PCHR Democratic
and Development Unit, explained that the panel discussion is part of activities
organized by PCHR for World Press Freedom Day. These activities included a
first panel discussion in Gaza City on 02 May 2011, a second panel discussion
in Khan Yunis on 12 May 2011 and a wall painting on the same occasion, to which
many Palestinian artists contributed.

Mr. Hamdi Shaqqura, Deputy Director of PCHR for
Program Affairs and Director of the Democratic Development Unit, presented a
paper on “Mechanisms of Protection Provided to Media Professionals in Time
of War.” He talked about the importance of exchanging expertise with media
professionals covering human rights violations and war crimes committed by the
Israeli forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Shaqqura pointed out that
international humanitarian law and international human rights law are the main
weapon in the struggle against human rights violations perpetrated against
Palestinian civilians in general, and media professionals in particular. He
added that media professionals do not enjoy special protection compared to that
offered to civilians under the international law, which is not enough and
requires offering special protection to them, especially in time of war, when
they are exposed to direct risks threatening their lives and personal safety.

Shaqqura explained the definition of a media
professional under the international law and the protection they are entitled
to under international human rights law (the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) and
international humanitarian law (the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the two
Additional Protocols). He stressed that attacking media professionals and their
equipment during armed conflicts is illegal and may constitute a war crime.

There was also a discussion regarding the
importance of raising awareness of media professionals working in the field,
especially, as a number of professionals have been exposed to the Israeli
attacks while on duty. The participants underscored the necessity of applying
international humanitarian law and international human rights law to the
Palestinian situation and to document the crimes committed by Israeli forces,
paving the way for prosecuting Israel at the international level.