Al Jazeera Ban Must be Lifted, Rights Experts Urge Palestinian Authority
13th January 2025, 12:00
Ramallah, Palestine – A group of United Nations human rights experts has called on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to immediately lift its ban on Al Jazeera, the Qatari-based news network.
The ban, which was imposed in August 2022, has been widely condemned by journalists and human rights groups as a violation of freedom of expression and the right to information.
In a statement released on Friday, the experts said that the ban “is a serious violation of the right to freedom of expression and the right to information.” They also noted that the ban has “a chilling effect on all media outlets in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
The experts urged the PA to “immediately lift the ban on Al Jazeera and to guarantee the right to freedom of expression and the right to information for all Palestinian citizens.”
The PA has not yet responded to the experts’ call.
Al Jazeera has been critical of the PA in the past, and the network’s journalists have been harassed and detained by PA security forces. The PA has accused Al Jazeera of being biased against it and of promoting the interests of Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza.
The ban on Al Jazeera has been condemned by the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union. The ban has also been criticized by Palestinian journalists and human rights groups.
The PA has not publicly stated a reason for the ban. However, some analysts believe that the ban is part of a wider crackdown on dissent in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The PA has been accused of human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and unfair trials. The PA has also been criticized for its suppression of freedom of expression.
The ban on Al Jazeera is the latest in a series of measures taken by the PA to restrict freedom of expression in the occupied Palestinian territory. In recent months, the PA has also banned other news outlets, including the Palestinian news agency Ma’an and the online newspaper Palestine Chronicle.
The PA has also arrested and detained journalists and human rights activists. In December 2022, the PA arrested Issa Amro, a prominent human rights activist and founder of the Hebron-based Youth Against Settlements movement. Amro was charged with “incitement” and “terrorism.”
The PA’s crackdown on dissent has been met with widespread condemnation. The United Nations, the United States, and the European Union have all called on the PA to respect freedom of expression and the right to dissent.
The PA has defended its crackdown on dissent, saying that it is necessary to maintain stability and security in the occupied Palestinian territory. The PA has also accused its critics of being biased against it and of supporting terrorism.
Al Jazeera ban must be lifted, rights experts urge Palestinian Authority
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