Palestinian broadcast journalist Musab Shawer Al-Tamimi

Another young Palestinian talent has been locked away by Israel. Broadcast Journalist Musab Shawer Al-Tamimi (22), who worked at Al-Khalil (Hebron)Radio, was sentenced to 5 months in prison on World Press Freedom Day.

Israeli forces first abducted Shawer before dawn on February 25, 2013 after storming his families home in Al-Khalil (Hebron). In yet another raid reminiscent of something out of “a Hollywood movie” Shawer’s brother, Essam Shawer, said that “large forces of the Israeli army arrived in three jeeps and two tankers for war, broke into the house at two o’clock in the morning,” drove all the family members outside subjecting them to “strict inspection.” Shawer was then transferred to Al-Jalameh interrogation center, where he remained for weeks until he was transferred to Ofer prison. Reportedly, his court date was postponed several times.

On March 27th International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC) reported an Israeli court in Ofer had extended Shawer’s detention. At the time of Shawer’s abduction no reason was given for his detainment and no charges were pressed. According to a March 14 report by Prisoner Support and Rights Association Addamer, Musab Shawer’s detention was part of a  “campaign of arbitrary detention against journalists and media in the West Bank and Jerusalem” in which 6 Palestinian journalists were detained during the first three months of 2013. They stated this was “an attempt to silence their voices and deprive them of their rights to free speech and expression.” 

Shawer was a correspondent for a special radio show about prisoner issues. Another journalist on Addamer’s list detained during this time frame, cartoon artist Muhammad Saba’anah‪ was also focused on prisoner issues. 25 year old journalism student Mahmoud Al-Teety, the administrator of a Facebook page focusing on Palestinian political prisoners, was shot in the head “in cold blood” and died  during the same timeframe.

Jihad Al-Qadi (Photo:MADA)

Also during the month of March, journalist photographer Jihad AL-Qadi was shot in his stomach causing sever injuries during his coverage of clashes in solidarity with hunger strikers in front of Ofer prison.   Both Atta Oweisat and  Mahfouz Abu Turk were also injured, directly fired upon with tear gas canisters and rubber coated metal bullets by Israeli forces in Jerusalem March 8th.

The Al Qassam Information office report about Shawer’s detention claims “There was also a clear attack against the journalists in the West Bank, who were covering many events, especially the events of solidarity with the prisoners in prisons.“

Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) Media Freedoms Violations report for April states Israeli violations are posing a “threat on the lives of journalists.” Their list includes the attack on Mohammad al-Azza. They list violations against media for the month of April alone, including the arrest of two journalists by the Palestinian Authority.

Media Freedoms Violations in Palestine during April 2013:

The IOF attacked the Pal Media cameraman Abdul Ghani Al Natsheh twice last month, first during his coverage of clashes between Israeli Forces and Palestinian in Hebron on Tuesday 2nd April 2013, during which he was shot with a metal bullet in his hand causing it to bleed. Then on Wednesday 24th April 2013 he was detained for an hour and a half during his coverage of the Secretaries-General for Arab national Education and Culture committees’ delegation visit to the Sanctuary of Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron.

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On Tuesday 2nd April 2013, the IOF attacked a group of journalists during their coverage of a peaceful protest in Jerusalem on the death of prisoner Maysara Abu Hameda, they are: Quds Net Correspondent Diala Jweihan, Wafa Agency Photographer Afef Omera, French Agency Photographer Jamil Qudmani, Al Quds Newspaper Photographer Mahmoud Alian, and Ranwa Agency Photographer Saeed Alqaq.

On Monday 8th April 2013 an Israeli soldier deliberately shot a rubber bullet on the Palestinian News Network PNN cameraman Mohammad Waleed Alaza (23 years old), during his coverage of the clashes between Palestinian youth and Israeli Occupation Forces in Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem. Alaza was hit in the face beneath his eye.

The editor in chief of the Hona Alquds Network for the local media at Alquds University Mazen Awad was beaten by three Israeli Occupation soldiers while trying to Pass Beit Eil Checkpoint On Wednesday 17th April 2013 and his journalism I.D was confiscated as well.

This is an alarming violent unjust campaign . I have no fear of being violently abducted from my home tonight, or have my guts blown out, because I am recording these obstructions of justice. That is a luxury not afforded to Palestinian journalists operating within the oppressive system of Israeli military occupation, one in which the world media routinely turns a blind eye. This has got to stop.

Along with a list of incarcerated Palestinian journalists Addameer has provided a list of addresses for people to take action. I would strongly urge people to contact our state department, 202-647-4000 or (on Twitter @StateDept ) or contact your elected officials. We need to put a stop to the systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists, get these journalists out of prison.

Occupation Forces embark on campaign of arbitrary detention against journalists and media in the West Bank and Jerusalem‪, fire on them during their work

 

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Addameer strongly condemns the IOF‪’s continuous persecution of journalists‪, affirming that this constitutes a clear violation of their legal‪, professional‪, and humanitarian rights‪. This campaign also represents a flagrant infringement of all laws and international norms and conventions which guarantee freedom of opinion and expression‪. Addameer believes that the targeting of Palestinian journalists by the IOF is part of a deliberate plan to create a lack of Palestinian journalists in the field of media‪, both on local and global scales‪.

 

Addameer deplores the silence of international institutions regarding the direct targeting and detention of Palestinian journalists‪, and calls for the application of increased pressure on the Occupation to immediately release reporters and journalists detained in the Occupation‪’s jails‪.

 

ACT NOW!

 

*Write to the Israeli government, military and legal authorities and demand the release of Palestinian journalists.

• Brigadier General Danny Efroni
  Military Judge Advocate General
  6 David Elazar Street
  Harkiya, Tel Aviv
  Israel
  Fax: +972 3 608 0366; +972 3 569 4526
  Email: arbel@mail.idf.il; avimn@idf.gov.il
• Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon
  OC Central Command Nehemia Base, Central Command
  Neveh Yaacov, Jerusalam
  Fax: +972 2 530 5741
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak
  Ministry of Defense
  37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya
  Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
  Fax: +972 3 691 6940 / 696 2757
• Col. Eli Bar On
  Legal Advisor of Judea and Samaria PO Box 5
  Beth El 90631
  Fax: +972 2 9977326

*Write to your own elected representatives urging them to pressure Israel to release Palestinian journalists.