ATLANTIC FREE PRESS - As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day on third of May, we fell sad for the retreat of Palestinian media since the celebration of this day last year, due to the serious violations that occurred, especially the killing of four media men (Suleiman Al-A'shi, Mohammed Abdu from Felesteen newspaper, Isam Al-Jojou from Felesteen Mubasher site news, by Palestinian armed groups, and Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana'a, by the Israeli occupation forces, they also tried to kill Aqsa TV cameraman Imad Ghanem deliberately, which led to the amputation of his legs.

 

The Israeli occupation forces continued attacks on journalists and media outlets in the occupied Palestinian territories, which have been continuing for several decades, to withhold their crimes and continuous violations of the Palestinian people rights, including the arrest of journalists such as Hassan Abdel Jawad, Waleed Khalid, Muhammad Halaiqa, Tarek Abu Zeid, closed media outlets such as Radio Al-Majd in Jenin, and raided and seized equipment from TV and Radio stations such as Gamma and Afaq TVs in Nablus city, Seraj and Manbar Alhureyah Radios in Hebron, opened fire and used tear gas bombs against journalists covering the weekly march in Bila'in Village (Ramallah) and a number of other areas, wounding many of them, In addition to other forms of attacks.

Attacks also continued from the Palestinian side, preventing many media outlets from work such as Palestine Public TV in Gaza, banning television Aqsa TV work in the West Bank, journalists were arrested by security forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, such as Munir Abu Rizk and Omar Ghoul in Gaza, Nawaf al-Amir, Mohamed Ishtiwi, Tarek Shehab, and Khalid Ma'ali in the West Bank, several journalists had been brought to trial such as Akram Haniyeh, Bahaa Al-Bukhari, Hafez al-Barghuthi, A'la Titi and Osaid Amarneh, the Magistrate's Court in Gaz had issued a ban on Al-Ayyam newspaper distribution in Gaza Strip, while still Felesteen and Al-Resaleh newspapers were banned from printing and distributing in the West Bank since 14 of last June.

That too many and dangerous media freedoms violations that occurred during the last period, especially during last May and June, in addition to the decisions and actions that prevent peaceful gatherings and demonstrations by force, has seriously affected the right of the citizen and journalists to freedom of opinion and expression in the Palestinian territories, which was guaranteed by Palestinian Basic Law, the Printing and Publication Law, in addition to international charters, especially Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

On this occasion, the Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (Mada) demands:

• Salam Fayyad Government, and Ismail Haniya dismissed government, to stop all actions against journalists and media outlets and retreat from decisions and actions taken by the two governments after the Fourteenth of last June, and allow all media outlets to operate freely in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• The release of journalist Musa'ab Qataloni, and to stop policy of journalists arrests and bringing them to trial.
• The International community to put pressure on the Israeli government for the release of arrested journalists, and stop its attacks against journalists and media outlets.
• Prosecution and trial of those involved in attacks on journalists and media outlets.

Mada offers warmest congratulations to Al-Jazeera TV cameraman Sami al-Hajj-Jazeera on his release from Gwantanamua prison, hoping the speedy release of all detained colleagues 

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