04/12/2012
34/2012
Press Release
ICHR Calls for the Protection & Promotion of Media Freedoms and the Press in Palestine
The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) appreciates the role of Palestinian journalists and media professionals in covering the Israeli violations, which was characterized by high level of professionalism in exposing the aggression on the Gaza Strip and in revealing the truth to the whole world. ICHR considers that the mission of the media complements and is consistent with the mission of Jurists in spreading and circulating the truth, in promoting the values of democracy, the rule of law and in the exposure of human rights violations.
What the Palestinian arena is witnessing of positive atmosphere towards ending the division and the achievement of the national reconciliation, especially after granting Palestine a non-member observer State status at the United Nations, requires an end to all outstanding issues relating to human rights, first and foremost, the media and press freedoms in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
The international conventions and national legislation, in particular the amended Palestinian Basic Law (2003) and the Press and Publication Law of 1995 have emphasized on the need to launch full freedom to the audio, visual and written media and freedom of printing, publication, distribution, broadcasting, and to prohibit all forms of censorship over them.
Therefore, ICHR calls strongly for the need to lift the ban on the printing and distribution of the local newspapers and freedom of circulation and dissemination and immediately stop all forms of persecution and harassment of journalists in both the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip immediately and interactively as part of the right of Palestinian citizens to have access to information and its circulation being inherent right of human rights.
