Ref: 103/2021

Date: 29 July 2021

Time: 08:00 GMT

The Palestinian police closed on Tuesday, 27 July 2021, JMedia news agency’s office in al-Bireh. The police force pinned a closure notice on the agency’s main door allegedly for inadequate licensing procedures and unprofessional conduct.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights condemns the closure of JMedia office and asserts that this decision is a flagrant violation of freedom of press and journalistic work that are both biding to the State of Palestine as per the Palestinian Basic Law and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. PCHR demands an immediate reversal for the decision, and frowns upon the Public Prosecution’s involvement in such a violation.

JMedia Director, Alaa al-Rimawi, stated to PCHR researcher that, “I received a phone call from a Palestinian police officer who informed me that they are present before JMedia office to shut it down. I immediately went to the office. Upon my arrival, I found a Palestinian police force there with a notice pinned to the main door indicating that the agency is closed. They asked me for the office keys. I was given a verbal summons to present before the Public Prosecution by 09:00 the following day. I asked to be allowed entry into the office to collect some files and equipment, but I was denied entry. I phoned lawyer Mohannad Karaja and he immediately arrived at the location, called the Attorney General and asked him not to shutdown JMedia, but he refused the lawyer’s request and informed him that there is a complaint by the Palestinian Ministry of Information against the agency.” Al-Rimawi added that the agency employs more than 17 journalists and is officially licensed by the Ministry of Information.

PCHR finds the Ministry of Information’s conduct questionable, i.e. filing a complaint with the Public Prosecution instead of following protocol in notifying the agency to complete its registration procedures. PCHR considers the Ministry’s conduct, as well as the Public Prosecution’s cooperation, a form of abuse of power.

PCHR emphasizes that closure of the agency violates the Palestinian Basic Law and Article 27, which stipulates that “2- Freedom of audio, visual, and written media, as well as freedom to print, publish, distribute and transmit, together with the freedom of individuals working in this field, shall be guaranteed by this Basic Law and other related laws. 3- Censorship of the media shall be prohibited. No warning, suspension, confiscation, cancellation or restriction shall be imposed upon the media except by law, and pursuant to a judicial ruling.”

PCHR stresses that this procedure violates Palestine’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly Article 19, which guarantees the freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of information access.  General Comment No. (34) issued by the UN Human Rights Committee emphasizes that freedom of journalism is one a form of freedom of expression and information access.

PCHR is concerned over the growing number of cases of violating freedom of expression and journalist; thereby calling upon the Attorney General to take an immediate decision to reopen G Media Agency.

PCHR also calls upon the Palestinian Government and Public Prosecution to respect the International Standards on Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Journalism, which Palestinian is legally bound by since its accession to ICCPR.