HRIA condemns PA crackdown on journalists and activists

Human Rights Institutions Associations (HRIA) denounced in the strongest terms the attacks by Palestinian Authority security forces in the occupied West Bank against journalists and peaceful demonstrators who were condemning the crime of killing human rights activist Nizar Banat.

HRIA said in a statement, a copy of which obtained by Safa, “a group of the authority’s security services on Saturday 26/6/2021 insulted and attacked severely journalists and human rights activists in the city of Ramallah.”

The PA security forces also suppressed the march in the center of Hebron city and attacked the participants with shooting and gas.

“These practices of the Authority’s security services indicate the intention to undermine freedom of opinion and expression by force in the West Bank, especially sending dozens of death threats against journalists and activists, the last of which was the threat message received by journalist Alaa al-Rimawi and journalist Ali Daraghmeh and other activists and journalists,” HRIA added.

It called for stopping the practices and attacks of the authority’s security services against citizens, and allowing them to freely express their opinions in accordance with the law.

It also called on the human rights association to provide protection for activists and journalists while they do their missions.

Source : Safa