Ref: 82/2010 

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the
intervention of the government in Gaza to prevent a video conference meeting
between journalists from Gaza and a delegation of the International Federation
of Journalists in Ramallah on Wednesday, 15 September 2010. Such intervention constitutes a violation of
the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to journalistic
work which are guaranteed under relevant international standards.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and the testimony
of Yusuf Sobhi al-Ostaz, member of the Secretariat General of the Journalists
Union, which was elected last February , the Journalists Union invited a number
of journalists in Gaza to meet a delegation of the International Federation of
Journalists in Ramallah via the video conference technique at 09:00 on Wednesday, 15 September 2010, in a meeting hall at
al-Azhar University. However, at
approximately 19:00 on Tuesday, 14 September 2010, the administration of the
university received a phone call from a person who introduced himself as a
member of the Internal Security Service. He informed them of preventing the meeting. As a result, the administration informed the
meeting’s organizers of the prevention decision issued by the Internal Security
Service.

The Palestinian Journalists Union had conducted new
elections on 5 February 2010 to elect a new board for the Union. However, PCHR believed that it was impossible
to hold just and transparent elections then, particularly, under the disputes
that disturbed the Union, including problems related to membership and impacts
of the internal fragmentation and political crisis on the Union.

PCHR condemns the government’s intervention to prevent the
meeting between journalists from Gaza and the delegation of the International
Federation of Journalists, and:

1) It is concerned over continued violations of the right to
freedom of expression and press freedoms, and emphasizes the importance of providing
journalists and media with the protection they need and to take all necessary measures
to enable them to carry out their work freely;

2) Stresses that the right to freedom of opinion and expression
is ensured under the Palestinian basic law and international human rights
standards;

3) Calls upon Palestinian security services to respect the
international human rights standards, the Palestinian basic law and the
relevant laws; and

4) Hopes that transparent elections that represent all
journalists will be organized as a first step to give the Palestinian
Journalists Union the chance to play its role in representing and serving
journalists and serving our national issues as an essential component of the
Palestinian civil society