Reference number: 97/2023
Date: September 27, 2023
Native language: Arabic
Press release
The International Commission “Hashd” published a briefing note on violations of freedom of expression in the media in August 2023.
The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights, “Hashd,” stated that journalists have the right to free expression and to communicate the truth without discrimination, including Palestinian journalists who face threats to their freedom as a result of Israeli occupation policies aimed at obscuring the truth. As part of our ongoing monitoring of the condition of public rights and freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territories, we thought it was vital to alert you about the infringement of media freedoms.
In a briefing note sent to David Kaye, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, it pointed out that the Israeli occupation state, and the reality that is witnessed in the occupied Palestinian territories, deliberately used excessive armed force against journalists through escalation against journalists and local media institutions.
The International Commission “Hashd” urged Palestinian journalists in Palestine to fight for their internationally recognized rights. This is accomplished through limiting the occupation’s ability to perpetrate continuous crimes against them and putting an end to transgressions against journalists and press institutions.
It analyzed attacks on media freedoms in the Palestinian territories in August 2023, whether at the level of Israeli breaches of media freedoms in the Palestinian territories, Palestinian violations, or violations on social media platforms.
The International Commission “Hashd” stated that journalists are the category that suffers the most and are subjected to professional difficulties and violations as a result of the Israeli conflict, whether directly through killing, injury, or arrest operations, or indirectly through targeting press headquarters and institutions, and that the occupation government, through its use of… Excessive force against journalists rejects, violates, and does not respect the standards contained in the agreements on freedom of opinion and expression in absolute terms, and disregards Security Council Resolution (2222), which stipulates the protection of journalists during armed conflicts.
It called for higher efforts, including specific measures to ensure freedom of opinion and expression in Palestine, as well as to expose the ongoing crimes of the occupation against innocent citizens, by pressuring the occupation authorities to obligate them to respect the rules of international law and international agreements regarding Palestinian journalists, and the necessity of immediate and serious action; and to prioritize our rights and legitimate demands.
Finished.
