Al Jazeera Ban Must Be Lifted, Rights Experts Urge Palestinian Authority
By [Your Name] January 13, 2025
Ramallah, Occupied West Bank – A group of prominent human rights experts have called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to immediately lift its ban on the Qatar-based news channel, Al Jazeera.
On August 24, 2022, the PA closed Al Jazeera’s offices in Ramallah and West Bank and revoked the press credentials of its journalists after the channel broadcast a documentary critical of the PA’s security forces.
The experts, including David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, stated: “The ban on Al Jazeera is a blatant violation of the Palestinian people’s right to freedom of expression and access to information.”
They emphasized that media freedom is essential for a functioning democracy, and that the PA’s actions “represent a serious threat to the rule of law and the basic rights of Palestinians.”
The experts also expressed concern about the safety of Al Jazeera’s journalists, as they “have been subjected to intimidation, harassment, and arbitrary detention by the PA security forces.”
They urged the PA to:
- Immediately lift the ban on Al Jazeera
- Reinstate the press credentials of its journalists
- Guarantee the safety and security of all media workers in the occupied Palestinian territories
The call for the PA to lift the ban has been widely supported by international media organizations, human rights groups, and Palestinian journalists.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned the ban as “a draconian move to silence critical journalism.” The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called it “an assault on press freedom in Palestine.”
Palestinian journalists have staged protests and issued statements demanding the end of the ban. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) has labeled the PA’s actions as “an attempt to muzzle the media and control the narrative.”
The PA has defended its ban, claiming that Al Jazeera’s documentary was “biased” and “disrespectful” to the PA and its security forces. However, the experts have dismissed these claims, stating that “the PA’s ban is not justified under international law.”
The experts concluded by stating: “The Palestinian Authority must uphold its obligations under international law and respect the fundamental rights of its people. The ban on Al Jazeera must be lifted immediately.”
Al Jazeera ban must be lifted, rights experts urge Palestinian Authority
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