Ref:
71/2010

The
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns an attack by the
Palestinian police in Khan Yunis yesterday against Ahmed Fayadh, reporter of aljazeera.net. This attack is a flagrant violation of the
right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to freedom of the
press which are guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law and by other relevant
international instruments.

According
to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 20:20 on Wednesday, 04
August 2010, a
police officer stopped Fayadh, 36, while taking photos inside the playground of
the Sports City in Khan Younis, southern the Gaza Strip, where a party was
scheduled to be organized by the ‘Birds of Paradise’ Band. The officer demanded Fayadh to go with him to
the gate of the Sports City where a number of policemen where stationed.

Fayadh
told the PCHR fieldworker the following:

“I asked the police officer in the official uniform to tell my
cousin who was accompanying my three children that I was going with him, but he
ordered me to bring them with me.  I was
forced to enter to the sports arena.  One
of the police officers started shouting at me and ordered me to give him my
camera.  I refused to give him my camera
and told him about my job as a reporter for aljazeera.net.  I showed him the photos that I took.  In the meanwhile, another policeman intervened
and insulted me. He directed several
punches to my face and shoulder.  Another
policeman beat me with a club and said obscene words against me.  A third policeman confiscated my camera.  One of the policemen in the scene intervened
and tried to stop the attack against me.  He tried to calm them down, but they continued
to insult me.  I was attacked before the
eyes of my children who were crying.  Another
police officer came to the scene and asked for my press card.  I gave him the card.  Then the members of the police left the scene
and I left the Sports City.”

PCHR
strongly condemns this attack on journalist Fayadh and:

1. Points with concern to
the reoccurrence of attacks on the right to freedom of opinion and expression
and the right to freedom of the press. PCHR stresses the importance of providing protection to journalists and
to the media and to take necessary measures to enable them to conduct their
duties freely.

2. Reiterates that the
right to freedom of opinion and expression is guaranteed by the Palestinian
Basic Law and by international human rights instruments.

3. Calls upon Palestinian
security services to respect international human rights standards, the
Palestinian Basic Law and other relevant laws.