Hands up who believed that Hamas would deliver on their promises of a ‘free press’ in Gaza? Anyone? No?
Gaza Journalists protest Hamas arrest attempts
Dozens of Palestinian journalists staged a sit-in rally Sunday in front of the Journalist's Union in Gaza City to protest an attempt by Gaza's Hamas rulers to arrest a colleague. Late Saturday, Hamas gunmen tried to arrest Agence France Press reporter Sakher Abu El Oun, but left the scene at the urging of Hamas political leaders after a group of reporters alerted by Abu El Oun formed a human chain around his home and blocked them from entering. The arrest attempt came a day after Hamas beat a group of journalists covering a demonstration protesting the group's rule in the Gaza Strip. Abu El Oun, who heads the Gaza journalists' union, harshly criticized the Hamas crackdown. While publicly proclaiming its commitment to a free press, Hamas appears to be growing intolerant of the media, with harassment of reporters increasingly common. |
This morning SABC show "In the public interest" debated freedom of expression with studio guests Jane Duncan from the FXI and Iqbal Jassat from the Media Review Network (MRN). I didn't catch the show but I would be interested to hear if this incident in Gaza was mentioned (given the MRN's staunch support for Hamas).
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