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Palestinian journalist being held without charge by Israel

December 12, 2019 at 10:51 am

Palestinian journalist Sameh Al-Titi, 9 December 2019 [Twitter]

Israeli authorities have been urged by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to immediately release Palestinian journalist Sameh Al-Titi or to disclose any charges against him.

Al-Titi, a reporter for the Hebron University-affiliated broadcaster Radio Alam, was arrested at home in Al-Arroub refugee camp by Israeli occupation forces on 9 December.

According to CPJ, Al-Titi is being held at the Petah Tikva interrogation facility, near Tel Aviv, adding that “authorities have not disclosed any reason for his arrest or any charges against him”.

On Wednesday, Sameh’s brother Alaa “posted on Facebook that a military court prevented his brother from meeting with a lawyer, and extended his detention for an additional eight days while authorities conduct an investigation”, CPJ reported.

“We are very concerned about the arrest of Sameh al-Titi given Israel’s frequent use of legal measures, including administrative detention, to keep journalists in jail without bringing any charges against them,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Representative Ignacio Miguel Delgado.

READ: 600 Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists in 2019

“Israeli authorities should immediately explain why they are holding al-Titi or let him go”.

Alaa al-Titi also described on Facebook how Israeli forces seized his brother’s laptop and mobile phone during the raid.

CPJ added that “one day before his arrest, al-Titi published an article on the Quds News Network’s website criticizing the Israeli government for using sports to bolster its international reputation”.

CPJ noted that Israeli occupation authorities had not replied to the group’s request for comment.

Freedom of Expression in Israel - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

Freedom of Expression in Israel – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]