Dear mrs Rawan Suleiman,
It’s with great indignation that I write to you about the arrest of
human rights defender and founder of Youth Against Settlements, mr Issa Amro by
security troops of the Palestinian Authority on 3 september 2017..
His ”crime”?
Using his fundamental right on freedom of expression.
According to my sources, mr Amro has been arrested by
Palestinian security forces after he had criticised the arrest of the Palestinian journalist, Ayman Naeem Qawasmi in a Facebook post. [1]
I’m glad to have learnt, that Mr Ayman Naeem Qawasmi
has been released now. [2]
But referring to mr Amro I ask you:
Since when is criticizing someone’s arrest in a Facebook
post a criminal offense?
It is mr Amro’s basic right to state his opinion and your government
should be deeply ashamed for acting like this!
This scandalous act of your government is no isolated incident,
but stems directly from a new “electronic crimes” law that limits freedom of expression online, [3] violating the basic right,
to say or write what you think.
My source [Al Jazeera] further states, that under the
”electronic crimes law”, anyone found guilty of acts online that disturb what is called “social harmony” faces up to 15 years of hard labour. [4]
To say it frankly:
This is crazy, dangerous and dictatorial and must stop
at once!
Mrs Sulaiman, you doubtless know, that I am not alone in my indignation about the arrest of Mr Amro!
Human rights organization Amnesty International
has called the arrest ”a shameless attack on freedom of expression”
[5]
As I wrote earlier, your government’s violating of free seech is no isolated
incident:
In june 2017, at least 11 websites were blocked [6] and in august
2017, Amnesty International concluded an alarming attack
in the freedom of expression since the start of 2017 [7]:
Journalists and activists were arbitrarily arrested, violent
interrogations took place as physical assaults. [8]
Mrs Sulaiman, I think I have made my point clear enough:
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, as
stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the international treaties and the Palestinian Authority
has the obligation to respect and maintain that right.
So I urge you to put pressure on your government, not
only to release mr Issa Amro immediately, but to stop
harrassing journalists, revoke the ”electronic crimes law”
and maintain human rights.
The Palestinian people don’t fight the brutal
Israeli occupation and all its injustices that hard, to become
oppressed by their ”own” Palestinian government!
End the oppression of journalisst and fullfil your
international obligations!
That’s what I demand from your government.
I expect your cooperation.
Kind greetings
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
NOTES
[1]
”On September 4, Associated Press sent out a report with a headline stating that Amro had been arrested for calling on Abbas to resign. This is INCORRECT. The Facebook post Amro was arrested for criticized the Palestinian Authority for arresting a journalist, Ayman Qawasmi, who was indeed arrested for writing that Abbas should resign. Issa’s Facebook post (screenshot below) just criticizes the arrest and calls for freedom of expression.
BREAKING:
ISSA AMRO ARRESTED BY THE PA
THE GUARDIAN
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITIES ARREST ACTIVIST IN GROWING
FREE SPEECH CRACKDOWN
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ARRESTED BY PALESTINIAN SECURITY
FORCES OVER FACEBOOK POSTS
4 SEPTEMBER 2017
[2]
”
MADA welcomes the release of Qawasmi and demands the release of Amr
Ramallah, 6/9/2017 The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) welcomes the release of Ayman Naeem Al-Qawasmi the chairman of Al-Hurriya Radio, who was arrested by the Palestinian Preventive Security on 3/9/2017.
AL-Qawasmi said to MADA after he was released this morning: “I received a phone call from the Preventive Security Service in Hebron on Sunday at 1:30 pm, to go immediately to the Preventive Security office, after I arrived at their office; I was directly interrogated about the video that was published after the broke into Al-Hurriya Radio station, in which I said that the Palestinian president, the prime minister and the governor should resign if they can’t protect the institutions.
They asked me about the reason for posting this video, I replied that it was published in an angry moment after the radio equipment was destroyed and confiscated by the occupation forces[1]. They actually understood my reasons. In the next day, the Legal Adviser came and wrote my statement, and I signed it. On the third day, the prosecution came and extended my detention 24 hours; until I was released this morning at 9:00 am without any conditions.
On the other hand, MADA Center demands the release of the activist Issa Ismail Amro, who was arrested on 3/9/2017, according to his brother Ahmed, who reported to MADA “A force from the Preventive Security Service came to our house in Hebron at about 11:30 pm. Issa was not at home. They called him and informed him to present himself at their headquarters for five minutes, but he replied that he will go there tomorrow. The next day at around 12:00 pm he headed to the headquarters of the preventive security service and did not return yet, according to lawyer Sulaiman al-Husseini, the preventive security service did not report any information about the reasons for the arrest and that Issa is still under interrogation, and that even the members of the preventive security service are unaware of the reason for his arrest. He also informed us that today 06/09/201 they extended his detention for 24 hours for further interrogation.
Amro, posted on his Facebook page before his arrest: “a ( woman) journalist was threatened by members of the security services after she posted the news of arresting Ayman Al-Qawasmi, I hope that all journalists spread this information as it 100% true, not a rumor”
MADA Center condemns the arrest of journalists and activists for expressing their opinions and demands an end to this policy.”
PALESTINIAN CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT & MEDIA FREEDOMS
MADA WELCOMES THE RELEASE OF QAWASMI AND
DEMANDS THE RELEASE OF AMRO
[3]
”Human rights groups are calling on the Palestinian Authority to suspend a new “electronic crimes” law that limits freedom of expression online.”
AL JAZEERA
RIGHTS GROUPS QUESTION PALESTINE’S ELECTRONIC CRIME LAW
[4]
”Anyone found guilty of acts online that disturb what the edict calls “social harmony” faces up to 15 years of hard labour.”
AL JAZEERA
RIGHTS GROUPS QUESTION PALESTINE’S ELECTRONIC CRIME LAW
[5]
”The arrest of a Palestinian human rights defender today who criticized the Palestinian authorities on Facebook is a shameless attack on freedom of expression, said Amnesty International”
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ARRESTED BY PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES
OVER FACEBOOK POSTS
4 SEPTEMBER 2017
[6]
AL JAZEERA
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY BLOCKS 11 NEWS WEBSITES
15 JUNE 2017
[7]
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
STATE OF PALESTINE: ALARMING ATTACK ON FREEDOM
OF EXPRESSION
23 AUGUST 2017
DOWNLOAD STATEMENT IN LINK
[8]
”Since the start of 2017, Palestinian authorities in the West Bank have carried out scores of attacks against journalists and activists, subjecting them to arbitrary arrests, violent interrogations, confiscation of equipment, physical assaults and bans on reporting1”
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
STATE OF PALESTINE: ALARMING ATTACK ON FREEDOM
OF EXPRESSION
23 AUGUST 2017
DOWNLOAD STATEMENT IN LINK
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