The Palestinian Journalists Forum slammed the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces in the West Bank for arresting two journalists as well as storming their homes and confiscating their laptops and cameras. It also condemned the PA harassment of journalists.
According to the Forum the PA intelligence apparatus in Salfit arrested on Sunday the former director of Filistin newspaper in the West Bank Walid Khaled. He is an ex-detainee who served about 15 years of imprisonment in Israeli jails and was held more than once in the PA jails.
The PA preventive security apparatus in Bethlehem arrested journalist Qutaiba Qasem after he was summoned for questioning on Monday morning. He is also an ex-detainee who served about 4 years in Israeli jails and was held for several times in the PA prisons.
The Forum stated that the arrest of journalists is a violation of freedom of journalism as well as journalists’ rights and called on the PA to stop such violations.
It also called on media and human rights institutions along with factions and other concerned groups to intervene for the release of journalists and to protect them from arrests and other violations. The Forum also demanded syndicate and popular action in order to pressure the PA security forces to stop such offensive practices.
