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Human Rights Watch: Palestinians abuse media, activists
Human Rights Watch: Palestinians abuse media, activists
By IAN DEITCHThe Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian authorities are silencing dissent by cracking down on free speech and abusing local journalists and activists critical of their policies, a leading international human rights group said Tuesday.
Human Rights Watch said both the Western-backed Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and its rival, the ruling Islamic militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, are “arresting, abusing, and criminally charging journalists and activists who express peaceful criticism of the authorities.”
I agree.Is anybody surprised here? While they criticize Israel, they're actually their own worst enemies, routinely, abusing, beating, imprisoning, and torturing journalists who dare say the truth.
Human Rights Watch: Palestinians abuse media, activists
Human Rights Watch: Palestinians abuse media, activists
By IAN DEITCHThe Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian authorities are silencing dissent by cracking down on free speech and abusing local journalists and activists critical of their policies, a leading international human rights group said Tuesday.
Human Rights Watch said both the Western-backed Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and its rival, the ruling Islamic militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, are “arresting, abusing, and criminally charging journalists and activists who express peaceful criticism of the authorities.”
In 2007, Hamas ousted Abbas’ Fatah forces from Gaza in bloody street battles, leaving the Palestinians divided between two governments. Attempts at reconciliation have repeatedly failed, and both Hamas and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority have periodically launched crackdowns against their rivals in efforts to consolidate power.
“The Palestinian governments in both Gaza and the West Bank are arresting and even physically abusing activists and journalists who express criticism on important public issues,” said Sari Bashi, the Israel and Palestine country director at Human Rights Watch.
HRW said that in the West Bank, Palestinian forces arrested activists and musicians who “ridiculed Palestinian security forces” and “accused the government of corruption” in statements posted on Facebook or stated in graffiti and rap songs.
In Gaza, the rights group said an activist who criticized Hamas for “failing to protect a man with a mental disability” was detained and intimidated by the group, as was a journalist who “posted a photograph of a woman looking for food in a garbage bin.”
The New York-based rights group said that in the incidents of abuse, “activists and journalists said that security officers beat or kicked them, deprived them of sleep and proper food, hosed them with cold and then hot water, and made them maintain uncomfortable positions for long hours.”
Tarik Abu Zaid, a journalist with the Hamas-allied al-Aqsa TV station, said he has been arrested by the Palestinian Authority three times, most recently in March, and held for a month each time.
“For the first week, the investigation was friendly,” he said. “But by the end of the first week, they started using several ways of physical and psychological torture to make me confess to charges that I didn’t do.” He said he was forced to stand and prevented from sleeping for three days and beaten in the genitals by an interrogator.
Jamal Dajani, spokesman for the West Bank government, said any such incidents were “isolated” and did not reflect official government policy. He said in some cases, journalists were arrested under defamation laws.
“These incidents have nothing to do with freedom of the press,” he said. “The government is working on creating a better environment for press freedom. We believe in and support the freedom of speech and the right for journalists to operate freely in Palestine.”
In Gaza, Hamas officials declined comment.
In the meantime, Palestinian women enjoying themselves on an Israeli beach.
In the meantime, Palestinian women enjoying themselves on an Israeli beach.
It's part of that Gaza concentration camp we heard about.
In the meantime, Palestinian women enjoying themselves on an Israeli beach.
It's part of that Gaza concentration camp we heard about.
They can come to Israeli towns, but Israelis can't go to theirs.
In the meantime, Palestinian women enjoying themselves on an Israeli beach.
It's part of that Gaza concentration camp we heard about.
They can come to Israeli towns, but Israelis can't go to theirs.
Did you know that Israel is stealing or occupying "Palestinian land"? The nerve of those Zionists building their wailing wall around the Al Aqsa Mosque.
In the meantime, Palestinian women enjoying themselves on an Israeli beach.
It's part of that Gaza concentration camp we heard about.
They can come to Israeli towns, but Israelis can't go to theirs.
Did you know that Israel is stealing or occupying "Palestinian land"? The nerve of those Zionists building their wailing wall around the Al Aqsa Mosque.
And travelling back in time to bury the faked artifacts in palestine that prove the Jews were there before the arab muslims
et al,
I find it rather hard to render any sympathy for the Arab Palestinians or any journalists and media outlet covering the stories.
I tell you I am absolutely shocked to hear that Internal Security measures in the Gaza Strip and West Bank include the use of Enhanced interrogation techniques; inflicting physical or psychological pain on their own Arab Palestinian constituents. I just cannot image that Palestinian prisoners would have been subjected to beatings with metal clubs and rubber hoses, or tormented with mock executions, and subject to arbitrary arrests.
• They are oppressed by HAMAS.
• They are oppressed by the Palestinian Authority.
• They are oppressed by the Israelis.
• They are ignored and not given the attention they want from Arab League members.
We should not intervene or even criticize because we basically cannot determine an alternative agency to rectify the situation. The Arab Palestinians of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank want their independence and sovereignty they say their are entitled. Which one of these abusers do they want for a government?
The Arab Palestinians say they meet the Article 22 (Stand alone) criteria for sovereignty. Well let's see what the Perpetual Victims do to clean their own house...
Most Respectfully,
R
et al,
I find it rather hard to render any sympathy for the Arab Palestinians or any journalists and media outlet covering the stories.
I tell you I am absolutely shocked to hear that Internal Security measures in the Gaza Strip and West Bank include the use of Enhanced interrogation techniques; inflicting physical or psychological pain on their own Arab Palestinian constituents. I just cannot image that Palestinian prisoners would have been subjected to beatings with metal clubs and rubber hoses, or tormented with mock executions, and subject to arbitrary arrests.
• They are oppressed by HAMAS.
• They are oppressed by the Palestinian Authority.
• They are oppressed by the Israelis.
• They are ignored and not given the attention they want from Arab League members.
We should not intervene or even criticize because we basically cannot determine an alternative agency to rectify the situation. The Arab Palestinians of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank want their independence and sovereignty they say their are entitled. Which one of these abusers do they want for a government?
The Arab Palestinians say they meet the Article 22 (Stand alone) criteria for sovereignty. Well let's see what the Perpetual Victims do to clean their own house...
Most Respectfully,
R
Shit who taught Hamas that sort of Shit......of course the Americans and Israelis,Rocco thanks for the Info....steve
Moron is as Moron SAYSIn the meantime, Palestinian women enjoying themselves on an Israeli beach.
It's part of that Gaza concentration camp we heard about.
I THINK THE SIGN AT THIS BEACH SAYS >>>>>"PALESTINIANS ONLY">See Israeli SEGREGATION YET AGAINIn the meantime, Palestinian women enjoying themselves on an Israeli beach.
And Why Not......Not Jews per-say but Zionists they need Demonizing BIG TIME and STOP using the word Jews because not all Jews THANKFULLY are ZIONISTS...........Get that into your THICKISH HEADI THINK THE SIGN AT THIS BEACH SAYS >>>>>"PALESTINIANS ONLY">See Israeli SEGREGATION YET AGAINIn the meantime, Palestinian women enjoying themselves on an Israeli beach.
No sign that I can see, WHY DO YOU CONSTANTLY FEEL THE NEED TO LIE JUST SO YOU CAN DEMONISE THE JEWS
