Israeli authorities have been urged by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to immediately release Palestinian journalist Sameh Al-Titi or to disclose any charges against him.
Al-Titi, a reporter for the Hebron University-affiliated broadcaster Radio Alam, was arrested at home in the Al-Arroub refugee camp by Israeli occupation forces on December 9.
“We are very concerned about the arrest of Sameh al-Titi given Israel’s frequent use of legal measures, including administrative detention, to keep journalists in jail without bringing any charges against them.” @CPJMENA's Ignacio Miguel Delgado.https://t.co/IXLT7LQ2We
— Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) December 11, 2019
According to CPJ, Al-Titi is being held at the Petah Tikva interrogation facility, near Tel Aviv, adding that “authorities have not disclosed any reason for his arrest or any charges against him”.
On Wednesday, Sameh’s brother Alaa “posted on Facebook that a military court prevented his brother from meeting with a lawyer, and extended his detention for an additional eight days while authorities conduct an investigation”, CPJ reported.
Israeli occupation forces detained Sameh al-Titi, a Palestinian journalist, after storming his home in al-Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, today at dawn. pic.twitter.com/EKaOG3cCow
— Palestine Live (@pallive_en) December 9, 2019
“We are very concerned about the arrest of Sameh al-Titi given Israel’s frequent use of legal measures, including administrative detention, to keep journalists in jail without bringing any charges against them,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Representative Ignacio Miguel Delgado.
“Israeli authorities should immediately explain why they are holding al-Titi or let him go”.
Money, Power, and Turf: Winning the Middle East Media War at Any Cost
by Ramzy Baroud@RamzyBaroud #Palestine #Palestinians #Israel #journalistshttps://t.co/VYpc8gyCCS pic.twitter.com/dEP3A3jIkt— Antiwar.com (@Antiwarcom) December 11, 2019
Alaa al-Titi also described on Facebook how Israeli forces seized his brother’s laptop and mobile phone during the raid.
CPJ added that “one day before his arrest, al-Titi published an article on the Quds News Network’s website criticizing the Israeli government for using sports to bolster its international reputation”.
CPJ noted that Israeli occupation authorities had not replied to the group’s request for comment.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)
