Ref: 28/2011

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has grave
concern over the escalation of actions taken by the security services in Gaza
against media professionals, including beating members of media, preventing
them from covering peaceful marches and attacks on such marches. PCHR also
strongly condemns the beatings and arrests of participants in peaceful marches
by security members yesterday. PCHR notes that these attacks contradict
statements made recently by the Ministry of Interior concerning respect for the
freedom of the press and the right to peaceful assembly. Investigations need to
be opened regarding the alleged attacks and the perpetrators need to be held
accountable.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at
approximately 11:50 on Wednesday, 30 March 2011, a march was organized by young
Palestinians from al-Azhar university in Gaza on the occasion of the Earth Day.
During the march, the participants called for an end to the occupation and to
the ongoing fragmentation. Approximately 2,000 Palestinians participated in the
march. They planned to walk to the Unknown Soldier Square in the center of Gaza
City. As the participants neared the Palestinian Airline on Jamal Abdul Naser
Street large numbers of police and other persons in civilian clothes arrived
with clubs and sticks and dispersed the march. They beat both participants and
media professionals. They also arrested a number of the participants.

A number of the participating media professionals and
some participants told PCHR that they were beaten and arrested by the members
of the security services. Eyad Talal Taha, reporter of the al-Watan Radio in
northern the Gaza Strip, told a PCHR fieldworker that he was stopped by two
persons in civilian clothes. One of them asked Taha to show his ID card while
the other sprayed liquid in his eyes. He was immediately affected and one of
his friends took him first to a nearby pharmacy and then to a healthcare center
for treatment.

Wisam Mohammed Yasin, 34, reporter for al-Hurra TV, said
while covering the march, she was talking on her mobile. A person in civilian
clothes came and grabbed her mobile and threw it to the ground destroying the
mobile. Yasin said that she tried to run behind this perpetrator to tell the
police who were on the scene. However, she was surprised as she saw him getting
into a police vehicle. Yasin said that although she told the police about her
work as a journalist, they ordered her to leave the scene and threatened her
with arrest.

Clara Walid Hassan al-Awad, 22, a student from Gaza, said
that she was beaten, arrested and that subjected to maltreatment at the hands
of members of the security forces. Al-Awad affirmed that she was participating
in the peaceful march with her friends Samah al-Rifi and Nuha Abu Zarifa when
they were attacked by nearly 20 policeman, including persons in civilian
clothes carrying clubs and sticks. They took the girls to a restaurant near
al-Saraya Security Compound. The policemen grabbed the Palestinian flag which
was around al-Awad’s neck and they confiscated her mobile. One of the policemen
grabbed her earphone and tried to destroy it. The policemen then beat the girls
with clubs and sticks. Al-Awad added that the security members transferred her
and her friend Abu Zarifa to Ansar Security Compound in the west of Gaza City.
They questioned her, used obscene words towards her and beat her. Al-Awad said
that another five girls were in the detention room. The girls are: Jihan
al-Sersawi, Shadia al-Ghoul, Marwa al-Masri, Asmihan Khalifa and Samah al-Rifi.
Some of the girls told the PCHR fieldworker that they were beaten while in
detention and that they were released that evening.

It should be noted that a number of journalists told PCHR
that on Tuesday, 29 March 2011, they received warnings from persons who called
them and told them that they were calling from the Government’s Information
Bureau. The callers told these journalists not to cover the above mentioned
peaceful march claiming because it was not “licensed.” They told
reporters that they should instead cover the “licensed” march which
was organized by national and Islamic forces and which was planned to start
from Hamouda Crossroads in Beit Lahia to Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing.

PCHR strongly condemns the escalation of attacks by the
security forces against media crews and the continued repression of
participants in peaceful assemblies. PCHR also:

1. Emphasizes
that the right to freedom of the press which is ensured by the Palestinian
Basic Law and international human rights standards.

2. Condemns
the recurrence of attacks on journalists and media professionals; calls for
providing them with protection and taking necessary measures to allow them to
work freely; and views attacks on journalists and confiscation of their cameras
as an attempt to hide the truth from the Palestinian public.

3. Demands
the government to respect the right to peaceful assembly, which is ensured
under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights standards. 

4. Demands
Palestinian security services respect international human rights standards, the
Palestinian Basic Law and other relevant laws.