There are 17 Palestinian media professionals, including journalists currently detained in Israeli prisons, a Geneva-based foundation said on Saturday.
Of these, seven are serving prison sentences, with five detained under Israel’s controversial administrative detention program and another five yet to receive a verdict, the pan-Arab Journalists’ Support Committee (JSC) revealed, Anadolu Agency reported.
17 Palestinian journalists & media workers are languishing in Israeli jails for their coverage of Israeli forces & settlers violence against Palestinians
The Journalists Support Committee said in a statement their arrest is a blatant violation of international law & human rights pic.twitter.com/Te9DddoeH7
— Friends of Palestine 🇵🇸 (@PalFriends2020) January 23, 2022
Under administrative detention, Israel holds Palestinians without ringing charges against them or trying them in court.
“The occupation [Israel] practices organized state terrorism against the Palestinian media in an… attempt to silence the Palestinian media and undermine the steadfastness of the Palestinian people,” the JSC said.
اthe Israeli occupation forces detained 8 Palestinian journalists in south mount Hebron, pic.twitter.com/zPbJzlab3l
— Issa Amro عيسى عمرو 🇵🇸 (@Issaamro) August 27, 2021
The rights group cautioned Israel concerning “the delay in issuing verdicts against the prisoners who have been detained for several years without charge”.
It called this “a blatant violation of international law and human rights”.
There were around 4,600 Palestinians in Israel’s jails on 5 January, Palestinian detainees’ rights group Addameer said. Among these were 160 children and 500 people being held under administrative detention.
(The New Arab, PC, Social Media)
