Press Release
ICSPR calls upon the Attorney-General in West Bank to immediate retreat of blocking 11 websites
International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) followed with deep concern the decision of the Attorney-General, Ahmed Brak, of blocking eleven Palestinian websites, through addressing official order to Internet provider companies to block these websites, which include: Amad news agency, The Palestinian Media Center, Palestine now agency, Shehab News Agency, Agnad Agency, Fateh voice agency, Palestine online, Palestine Press, Feras Press, Shefa News and Omamh News.
The News reported justification of PA official that this decision came as a result of public prosecution issues raised against these websites, which indicted on charges of cursing, falsification and assault on individual freedoms, as he say, he denied that the reason behind blocking these websites is political because these sites are closed to the reformist movement of Fateh and Hamas.
International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) considers that this arbitrary decision falls under an unprecedented escalation of the Palestinian government hostility against freedom of the press and media, ICSPR expressing its rejection of all justification for blocking and charges of the Government and Palestinian prosecutors, emphasizing that its flimsy charges and everyone knows that, everyone knows and realizes it’s faking to cover the Presidential Foundation and the Palestinian government hostility against freedom of the press and expression in Palestine, and strive to pursue violators and political opponents through recruit Palestinian jurisdiction, therefore; ICSPR demand the following:
ICSPR consider that the decision of blocking these websites is a serious violation to the Palestinian Law, Press and Publication Law and the international conventions to human rights, which guaranteed the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
ICSPR urges Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and all press and media agencies to refuse all of these justifications, and to unite their efforts to defend the right to freedom of the media and journalists.
ICSPR calls upon the Attorney-General in West Bank to immediate retreat of this illegal decision, in order to triumph to justice of the values of the Palestinian Law.
ICSPR calls upon the International Federation of Journalists and the organizations of civil society to make more efforts to urge the Palestinian government to withdraw this decision that clearly violates the freedom of the media and journalists.
