Jared Malsin
Four days ago we posted on the the case of Jared Malsin, the chief English editor at the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency. Malsin was detained at the Ben Gurion Airport for the past four days and is in danger of deported from Israel/Palestine today. Apparently, the primary reason for his detention was his critical reporting of Israeli policy. Here is a timeline of Malsin’s case so far. People who have been in touch with Malsin say he has been kept in a windowless room for five days.
Here is an update from Ma’an:
Israeli District Court Justice Kobi Vardi will hear arguments for and against the deportation of detained Ma’an News Agency journalist Jared Malsin on Sunday morning in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Ma’an attorney Daoud Castro will file his response at the Tel Aviv District Court, 1 Weizmann Street, following the presentation of the case against Jared by the Attorney General’s Office.
According to court documents filed on Thursday evening, signed by an interrogator at Ben Gurion International Airport, Jared was denied entry for the following reasons:
1) Refusal to cooperate
2) Lying to border officials
3) Reasons for arriving unclear
4) Violated visa terms
5) Entered Israel by means of lies
Disturbingly, the documents also reveal that interrogators had gathered online research into the journalist’s writing history, which transcripts indicate included news stories "criticizing the State of Israel," among other allegations he authored articles "inside the [Palestinian] territories."
Ma’an attorney Castro Daoud will argue that these allegations do not constitute a valid justification for denial of entry because none signal Jared posed a security risk, as the documents ultimately conclude. Moreover, none trump the unprecedented violation of press freedom that would accompany his deportation.
