Cairo 2 March 2012

ANHRI condemns the Palestinian security forces arresting Tariq Khamis, the journalist on Sunday evening, because of his comment posted on his personal page on the social networking site “Face book.”

Some officers identifying themselves as members of the Preventive Security Service yesterday evening, arrested Tariq Khamis the journalist and correspondent of Time Press agency while joining the Arab Cultural Forum in the city of Al Beera, and took him to an unknown destination without giving any reasons for such detention.  Most likely the reason for his arrest is the solidarity with the Palestinian media, Esmat Abdel-Khalek whom the General Attorney extended her confinement for 15 days on Wednesday. Asmat was accused of insulting authorities by demanding Dissolution of the Authority which motivated Al Khamis to comment on his personal page on Face book saying: “If her call for Dissolution of the Authority is an insult then let us stand together for an insult campaign”

It is worth noting that Khamis is not the first journalist to suffer from the oppression of the Palestinian security services, which have recently become active in restricting freedom of journalists. The previous case was against Youseph Al Shayeb who was arrested for publishing a report exposing the work of the Palestinian Embassy in France in Al Ghad Jordanian newspaper, and now recently arrested the journalist Esmat Abdel-Khalek. What is going on is not new to the Palestinian Authority, which is chasing dozens of journalists in recent times because of their opinions.

ANHRI commented: “The arrest of three journalists in a few days is a serious indication of the fate of freedom of opinion and expression within the Palestinian territories; it is the right of the press to express his opinion freely without fear of imprisonment or defamation

Therefore the Palestinian Authority has to release all prisoners of conscience in prisons, and to ensure their right to personal safety and freedom of opinion and expression, and to refrain from hunting them down on ridiculous charges as insulting authorities when it comes to opinions about the ruler.”

“It is not the mission of the press to make a God out of a ruler, but to criticize and point to the right and wrong in his rule, neither in hypocritical or praising approach.” Added ANHRI.

Also available in : العربية