Description

JENIN (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces arrested the director of a Jenin-based satellite channel on Thursday after raiding his home, the executive director of the channel said.

Saher Qassem, chief of the Al-Asir channel, told Ma'an that a group of soldiers arrested Baha Khayri Ata Musa, 32, after raiding his home in Mirka village.

Soldiers confiscated the TV station's broadcasting equipment from Musa's home, preventing the channel from being able to continue its coverage, Qassem said.

Al-Asir, or 'the prisoner', channel also has offices operating in Bahrain, Qassem said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said one person was detained in Jenin overnight, but could not provide the identify of the person.

In late February, Israeli forces raided Watan TV and Al-Quds Educational TV's offices in Ramallah, confiscating broadcasting equipment.

______

Reporters Without Borders Condemn Arrest of Journalist

PARIS, May 22, 2012 (WAFA) - Reporters Without Borders strongly condemned on Monday the arrest by Israeli troops of Baha Mousa, director of the Palestinian Prisoner Channel, which broadcast from the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

The troops raided the station on May 17, arrested Mousa and seized broadcasting equipment, computers, video cameras and documents.

“Such abuses aimed at stifling the Palestinian media must cease,” the press freedom organization said in a statement.

“This is the third time since the start of 2012 that the Israeli authorities have victimized a Palestinian media organization. We call for the immediate release of Baha Mousa and the return of all confiscated equipment, especially since the raid, carried out in territory under Palestinians administration, is illegal under international law,” it added.

Mousa was arrested at his home in the village of Marka south of Jenin in the early hours of the same day the army raided the station and seized his professional equipment after searching his home.

Mousa was reported to be detained in the al-Jalama interrogation center near Haifa.

The station, launched on 1 April, is devoted to news about Palestinian prisoners and their families and also broadcasts cultural programs. It is privately funded and is not affiliated to any political organization.

On April 2, Israeli forces raided a Palestinian radio, television and online media network set up by Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem.

Dozens of Israeli police officers invaded the offices of the media center in the Al-Khaldyeh district of East Jerusalem. The network was part of the university’s Institute of Modern Media, and comprised the radio station Houna Al-Quds and a news agency with the same name. They were ordered to close and some of their equipment was seized.

On February 29, Israeli troops raided two Palestinian TV stations, Watan and Al-Quds Educational TV, in the West Bank city of Ramallah which is under Palestinian Authority control. Both stations were forced off the air as a result.

M.S.

Features