Ref:
119/2003

PCHR
condemns the recent attacks on the offices of al-Arabiya Satellite Channel in
Ramallah and al-Ayyam newspaper in Gaza city. 
PCHR considers these attacks an assault against freedom of the press and
the freedom of expression and to receive and impart information.  PCHR calls upon the Palestinian Authority and
the Palestinian Authority Attorney General to initiate an investigation and
bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice. 

On
Saturday, 13 September 2003, a number of masked persons armed with machine
guns, sticks and swords broke into the offices of al-Arabiya Satellite Channel
in Ramallah.  They threatened and insulted
the staff.  They forced 3 staff members
into one room while they began to destroy office equipment.  The attackers, who claimed to be members of
the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of the Fatah movement, did not
give any reason for this attack. 
However, al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade issued a statement later denying any
connection to the attack, and describing its perpetrators as “intruders and
dissidents from the national consensus.” 
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat also ordered the establishment of an
inquiry committee to investigate the attack. 

In
the second attack, on Sunday morning, 14 September 2003, a number of armed
persons intercepted a vehicle belonging to the distributors of al-Ayyam
newspaper in Gaza city.  They confiscated
a number of copies of the newspaper. 
According to PCHR’s investigation, at approximately 08:30, a vehicle
belonging to the newspaper, which is published in Ramallah, was traveling in
Salah al-Din Street on its way from Erez crossing towards Gaza city, loaded with
copies of the newspaper to be distributed in the Gaza Strip.  To the north of Jabalya, two civilian cars
intercepted it.  Four gunmen got out of
the cars and forced the driver of the newspaper’s vehicle and his two
colleagues to move forward with their vehicle lodged between the two cars, one
at the front and one traveling behind. 
They took them to an area located to the east of Jabalya.  Two individuals in police uniform were
waiting for them there.  They claimed to
be members of the customs department and forced the staff members of al-Ayyam
to get out of the car.  They confiscated
about 1400 copies of the newspaper. 
However, the customs department later denied any connection to the
incident.  The attackers have not been
identified. 

PCHR
condemns these attacks on al-Arabiya satellite channel and al-Ayyam newspaper
and calls for respect for press freedoms enshrined in international human
rights instruments.  Article 19 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 19 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, expressly provide that everyone has the
right to freedom of expression; this right includes freedom to seek, receive
and impart information and ideas.  PCHR
calls upon the Palestinian Authority to conduct a full and fair investigation
into the incidents, and prosecute those responsible in accordance with
international legal standards.