MADA welcomes agreement allowing redistribution of newspapers, and denounces journalist’s summons for investigation
by Palestinian Center for Development and Media
Freedoms
Ramallah
– 12 January 2012 - The Palestinian Center for Development and Media
Freedoms (MADA) welcomes the statement of Gaza Strip’s Freedoms
Committee spokesperson Khaled Al-Batsh concerning an agreement on the
redistribution of previously banned newspapers in the West Bank and Gaza
without restrictions from 15 January 2012, urging both sides to uphold
their part of the agreement.
MADA
center launched a campaign in December calling for the reprinting and
redistribution of previously banned newspapers in the West Bank and
Gaza, and for an end to the affects of political partisanship on
Palestinian media.
As part of this campaign, MADA sent official letters
to President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas
leader Khaled Meshal and various other representatives within the two
governments, PLO, and political parties urging their cooperation.
MADA
additionally called upon Palestinian parties participating in the Cairo
meeting on 20 December 2011 to include on their agenda the issue of
ending the division’s impact on Palestinian media, particularly the
reinstatement and redistribution of previously banned newspapers in the
West Bank and Gaza, freely and without hindrance.
MADA
has also launched a petition in cooperation with journalists and
various civil society actors to campaign for journalistic freedoms by
adding their signatures, with dozens already collected. MADA has also promoted this campaign through its magazine “MADA El-E’lam”, with the back cover of the magazine featuring the tag line “permit
the unconditional printing and distribution of previously banned
Palestinian newspapers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip”.
In
other news, MADA condemns the summons of "Al-Ahram Weekly"
correspondent Khaled Amayreh for investigation by the Preventive
Security Service in Hebron, who twice requested Amayreh for questioning.
This harassment lies in clear violation of freedom of expression and
adversely affects the current positive atmosphere of reconciliation.
Amayreh
told MADA that he was first summoned by the Preventive Security on
Thursday, 05 January 2012 after his appearance on Al-Aqsa TV, calling
the Prime Minister of the Hamas government in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh a
"legitimate Prime Minister." He was summoned again on 7 January 2012 to
continuing answering questions about his appearance of Al-Aqsa TV, where
he remained in custody for nearly five hours.
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Contact:
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
Riham@madacenter.org
www.madacenter.org
0097222976519
