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PALESTINIAN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

PRESS RELEASE

Ref: 15/2004

Date: 04 February  2004

PCHR Condemns the Recent Attack against Al-Dar Magazine

 PCHR strongly condemns the attack carried out by unknown individuals against offices of al-Dar Magazine in Gaza city.  PCHR is increasingly concerned by the escalation of attacks against journalists and press institutions, which threaten freedom of press and expression. 

 According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on Tuesday morning, 3 February 2004, staff members of al-Dar Magazine arrived at their offices after the Eid holiday to discover them attacked and their furniture and equipment destroyed.  The attackers and their motives are unknown.  However, there are concerns that the attack may have been carried out because of articles on various local issues published in the magazine. 

 Al-Dar is an independent weekly magazine, the first issue of which was published in Gaza city in August 2003 upon receiving a license by the Palestinian Authority issued on 13 March 2004.  Its editor-in-chief is Hassan al-Kashef, a well-known journalist.  According to al-Kashef, he had never received any warnings or threats from any party. 

 The past few months witnessed similar attacks against journalists and press institutions, whose perpetrators have not been identified.  On 8 January 2004, unknown individuals severely beat Saif al-Din Shahin, correspondent of al-Arabiya Satellite Channel, shortly after he left his office in Gaza city.  On 13 September 2003, unknown individuals attacked offices of al-Arabiya Satellite Channel and MBC Television in Ramallah and destroyed their interiors.  On 14 September 2003, unknown individuals expropriated around 1400 copies of the daily issue of the daily local al-Ayyam newspaper.  In these cases and other cases as well, the parties responsible for the attacks have not been identified and Palestinian official parties have not revealed conclusions of their investigations regarding these matters. 

PCHR considers this violent action an attack on the freedom of the press, of opinion, and of expression.  PCHR calls upon the Palestinian Authority to conduct a full and fair investigation into the incident and to bring those found responsible to justice in accordance with the rule of law.         

Public Document

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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail:pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org