Al Jazeera Ban Must Be Lifted, Rights Experts Urge Palestinian Authority
January 13, 2025
Middle East – A group of independent United Nations rights experts has called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to immediately lift its ban on Al Jazeera, the region’s leading news network.
The experts, who make up the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, stressed that the ban violates the PA’s obligations under international law to respect and protect media freedom.
“The ban on Al Jazeera is a clear violation of the Palestinian people’s right to information and freedom of expression,” said Mary Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur. “It is essential that journalists are able to work freely and without fear of reprisal.”
The ban on Al Jazeera was imposed in August 2022, following a diplomatic crisis between the PA and Qatar, which owns the network. The PA accused Al Jazeera of bias towards Hamas, the Islamist group that governs the Gaza Strip.
The rights experts said that the PA’s justifications for the ban were “vague and unconvincing.” They noted that Al Jazeera is a respected news organization that has been critical of all sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The ban on Al Jazeera is part of a wider crackdown on media freedom in the Palestinian territories,” said David Kaye, another Special Rapporteur. “Over the past year, journalists have been detained, harassed, and their offices raided.”
The experts called on the PA to immediately lift the ban on Al Jazeera and to create a safe and enabling environment for journalists to work freely. They also urged the international community to pressure the PA to respect media freedom.
“A free and independent media is essential for a healthy democracy,” said Renata Uitz, another Special Rapporteur. “The PA must end its crackdown on media freedom and allow journalists to do their jobs without fear.”
Additional Information:
- The UN Special Rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific human rights issues.
- Al Jazeera is a Qatar-based news network that has been operating in the Middle East for over 25 years.
- The Palestinian Authority is the governing body of the Palestinian territories, which include the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
- Hamas is an Islamist group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Al Jazeera ban must be lifted, rights experts urge Palestinian Authority
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