clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

PA prevents popular Palestinian body from holding press conference in Ramallah

March 2, 2023 at 9:40 am

ahead of a planned press conference at the Watan Media Network in Ramallah, Palestinian security services in plainclothes stormed in and shut it down [@JComm_BlogFeeds/Twitter]

The Palestinian Authority (PA) yesterday prevented the Popular Palestinian Conference from holding a press conference at Wattan TV’s office in Ramallah, the station said.

According to Wattan, the PA’s security personnel raided its office and forced the journalists who arrived to report on the press conference out.

The armed security personnel, who wore plainclothes, also attacked a number of the journalists and Wattan employees when they asked them to prove official orders.

When eyewitnesses tried to film the scene, the security forces grabbed their cameras and removed their tapes and memory cards, forcing them to stop recording.

The Popular Palestinian Conference (14 Million) planned to declare a document signed by 150 national Palestinian figures against the PA’s decision to withdraw a plan for a resolution at the UN Security Council against Israeli violations. As a result of the raid, the conference’s organisers circulated their press release without hosting an event.

Wattan TV, the Popular Palestinian Conference (14 Million) and the Palestinian Forum for Palestine Journalists condemned the PA’s aggression on freedom of speech and freedom of expression which are guaranteed by the Palestinian law, as well as the international laws and conventions.

READ: Palestine Authority to stop security coordination with Israel