MADA Demands Further Action Following Investigation into Attacks in Ramallah
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- Published on Monday, 30 July 2012 10:48
PNN
The Palestinian Center For Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) today, 30th July, welcomed the recommendations handed down by an independent committee set up to investigate a series of attacks during recent marches in Ramallah.
The committee was established by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to investigate claims that Palestinian security forces attacked and detained march participants and journalists.
The marches were held on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July to protest against a planned visit by Israeli Vice Premier Shaul Mofaz.
MADA called immediately for a commission of inquiry into the attacks against journalists and others.
The committee's report confirms that the journalists were attacked while simply doing their jobs and reporting on the protest.
It found that most of the cases heard by the committee referred to violence against journalists who were beaten despite the fact that they did not show any resistance or in any way threatened the life of the security men. Rather, these journalists were mostly photographing arrests and attacks against other participants in the marches.
Reuters cameraman Saed Hawwary, journalist Mahmoud Hreebat and journalist Mohammad Jaradat were beaten, while photographer Essam Rimawi, from Al-Hayyat newspaper, was also mistreated and freelance journalist Ahmad Musleh was detained.
MADA Center demands that the recommendations of the independent commission be implemented in full.
This is as an important step towards justice for those attacked and it will strengthen laws guaranteeing freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
If we ignore violence against journalists, it not only leads to security forces attacking people with impunity, it also violates media freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territories.
