Regarding the Detention of Journalist Qasim Ezzat Al-Kafarna over a Financial Dispute

Date: April 24, 2025

Press Release
Regarding the Detention of Journalist Qasim Ezzat Al-Kafarna over a Financial Dispute

The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (ICSPR) expresses its deep concern over the continued detention of journalist Qasim Ezzat Al-Kafarna in connection with a financial dispute related to the Ramtan media agency, whose operations ceased after certain television channels failed to meet their financial obligations toward the company. The case filed against the company also involves other shareholder partners located in both the West Bank and Gaza, which raises concerns about selective enforcement of the law. ICSPR affirms that resorting to imprisonment in financial cases, despite the existence of alternative legal avenues provided for under the amended Palestinian Execution Law, constitutes an infringement on the right to personal liberty.

The Commission stresses that the modern legal philosophy adopted by the Palestinian legislator in the 2022 amendments made seizure of assets the principal rule, while imprisonment of the debtor became a final exceptional measure that may not be used unless it is proven that the debtor has concealed or transferred assets, or that no visible assets exist that can be seized. Accordingly, continuing detention without exhausting executive seizure procedures against assets, movable property, or immovable property constitutes a departure from the spirit of the law and from the guarantees of justice.

Accordingly, the Commission demands:

• The immediate release of journalist Qasim Ezzat Al-Kafarna, in line with the guarantees provided by the Basic Law and the Execution Law for debtors in civil cases.

• The activation of financial seizure procedures, whether against assets or receivables, as a lawful alternative to bodily detention, in a manner that guarantees the creditor’s rights without infringing upon the debtor’s liberty.

• Respect for the professional specificity of journalists and ensuring that executive detention is not used as a means of pressure in labor or commercial disputes related to media institutions.

ICSPR affirms that the rule of law requires a balance between safeguarding the financial rights of creditors and protecting the constitutional rights of debtors, foremost among them the right to liberty and freedom from detention on the basis of inability to fulfill a contractual obligation.