Mustafa Al-Kharouf, aged 33, was born in Algeria and arrived in Palestine with his family at the age of 12. He now lives in occupied East-Jerusalem, but the Israeli authorities repeatedly denied him permanent resident status, which makes him stateless.
He was arrested on 22nd January after the government ordered his immediate expulsion to Jordan. He has been continuously detained since then.
Following a Supreme Court decision, the Israeli authorities attempted to deport Al-Kharouf on 21st July but Jordan refused to accept him, the decision being in violation of international laws, which prohibit the expulsion of civilians from occupied territories.
Al-Kharouf is a photojournalist for Anadolu Agency (AA), which has repeatedly exposed Israeli attacks on Palestinian citizens’ rights.
The PJS said: “We consider the continued detention of Al-Kharouf and the intention to keep him away from his homeland and family a shameless attack on his right to live and work in the city of Jerusalem, where he comes from and has been living and working for 20 years. It is also an attack against the press corps and a serious development in the series of attacks that take place with impunity.”
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “Mustafa Al-Kharouf’s fundamental rights have continuously been violated by Israeli authorities. He must be released immediately and granted permanent residency so that he can do his job freely. We reiterate our calls on Israel to stop targeting Palestinian journalists."