Ref: 120/2007
Date: 16 September 2007
Time: 11:00 GMT
PCHR Condemns the Attack on Watan
Press Office in Gaza
PCHR condemns the attack on
Watan Press Office by unknown assailants on Friday. The Centre calls for
investigating this attack and prosecuting the perpetrators. The Centre views
this attack within the context of assaults on freedom of expression and
journalism freedom that are protected by the Palestinian Basic Law and
international human rights standards.
The Center’s preliminary
investigation and the statement of journalist Emad El-Efranji, director of the
targeted office, indicates that at approximately 11:30 on Friday, 14 September
2007, two unknown assailants broke into Watan Press Office, located in the 6th
floor of Abu Shaban Building in the center of Gaza City. The assailants started
to ransack the office. The assailants fled when they heard someone heading
towards the office to check the sound.
It is noted that on 31
August 2007 Emad El-Efranji and Mustafa El-Sawwaf, the editor-in-chief of
Palestine Newspaper, received death threats on their private mobile phones.
The 2 journalists informed
PCHR that at 03:16 on Friday, 31 August 2007, each one received a message on his
private mobile phone. The message sent to El-Efranji was signed by “Samih El-Madhoun
Groups.” The message to El-Sawwaf was signed by “IslamicWay.” El-Efranji stated
that he received another message with the same content and by the same signatory
7 minutes after the first message. In addition, he said that he received a
message threatening Mustafa El-Sawwaf signed by “Islamicway.”
PCHR strongly condemns
these attacks, and:
-
Points to the repeated attacks on
freedom of expression and press freedoms, and calls for serious investigations
in these attacks to prosecute the perpetrators.
-
Stresses the need to provide
protection to journalists and the media, and the need to take steps to ensure
that they conduct their work freely in affirmation of freedom of expression and
press freedoms.
-
Affirms that freedom of expression
is protected by the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights
standards.
