Palestine: IFJ condemns attacks against media workers as PJS calls for journalists’ boycott

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned attacks on media workers and the arrest of two foreign journalists by Palestinian security forces during a rally in Ramallah on 13 June.

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah addresses the media upon his arrival at his office in the West Bank town of Ramallah. © ABBAS MOMANI / AFP

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned attacks on media workers and the arrest of two foreign journalists by Palestinian security forces during a rally in Ramallah on 13 June.

Security personnel in military attire and other individuals assaulted reporters and photographers covering a rally about events in Gaza and broke or seized equipment.

An American and a Turkish journalist were also briefly detained during the event.

The IFJ backed the strong condemnation of the attacks by its affiliate, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS). The PJS, which had earlier highlighted a rise in media freedom violations by the Palestinian authorities in 2017, called on “all journalists to boycott the government and the security apparatus of news coverage and on all Palestinian media outlets to abide by this decision until further notice.”

In the statement published yesterday, the PJS held the Ministry of Interior fully responsible for the attacks and called on journalists to provide documents, photos and videos as it pledged to support the attacked journalists’ legal actions.

Nasser Abu Bakr, PJS President also strongly condemned the attacks as “a dangerous development and a violation of all previous statements and agreements on the protection of freedom of expression and media freedom in this country.”

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “We are deeply concerned about such attacks targeting both local and foreign journalists and call on the government to respect Palestine’s commitment to protecting media freedom. There must be a full investigation and action taken against those responsible”.


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