Ref: 114/2006

Date:  02 November 2006

Time: 12:30 GMT

PCHR Condemns the Attack on the People’s Voice Radio Station in Gaza City

PCHR strongly condemns the attack on the people’s voice radio station by unknown gunman on Wednesday, 1 November 2006. The Centre views this as a flagrant violation on freedom of expression, and comes as part of ongoing security chaos plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The Centre calls upon the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), represented by Attorney-General (AG), to seriously investigate this crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.

PCHR’s preliminary investigation into the incident indicates that at approximately 18:45 on Wednesday, 1 November 2006, three gunmen broke into the offices of the People’s Voice Radio Station in El-Basha Building in Jamal Abdel Nasser Street in Gaza City. They detained the station workers and guests in the reception, then fired at the equipment in the studio and newsroom. The equipment was destroyed. The firing resulted in the injury of 6 people in the place: 4 workers and 2 guests participating in programs. The injured are:

–         Shadi Na’el Shamiyya (25): a worker injured by shrapnel in the legs;

–         Eyad Sa’id El-Serhi (23): a worker injured by shrapnel in the right hand and foot;

–         Mohammad Fuad El-Lala (23): a worker injured by shrapnel in the legs;

–         Mazen El-Belbeisi (18): a worker injured by shrapnel in the abdomen;

–         Hasan Ibrahim El-Teibi (40): a guest from Fatah movement injured by shrapnel in the legs; and

–         Mohammad Shaban Abu El-Jedyan (27): a guest from Fatah movement injured by shrapnel in the neck.

Naji El-Qeiq, the radio station’s director, informed PCHR’s fieldworker that the station received two telephone calls from anonymous people threatening the station workers on the backdrop of broadcasting news that General Rashid Abu Sh’bak, the Director General of Internal Security, will be replaced. The attack was perpetrated shortly after the threats.

It is noted that a similar attack was perpetrated against the Workers’ Voice Radio Station on 12 October 2006 by a group calling itself “Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades – Higher Military Council.” The group issued a statement claiming that the attack on the Workers’ Voice came because the station is a “mercenary voice advocating strife and inciting against the mujahideen of the Higher Military Council.

PCHR strongly condemns this attack, and:

–         points with concern to the escalating attacks on journalists and media establishments by armed groups, which constitutes a serious violation of freedom of expression and dissemination of information;

–         calls upon the PNA, represented by the AG, to seriously investigate this crime and other crimes, and bring the perpetrators to justice; and

–         calls upon all parties to keep journalists and media establishments out of factional disputes in order to ensure that the media works freely.

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