Reporters Without Borders demands release of five Palestinian journalists

Reporters Without Borders called today on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to free at once five Palestinian journalists who have been held without explanation for several weeks. "Some of them have been detained for nearly a month without being charged with any offence and one is being held in an unknown place, which is unacceptable," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard said in a letter to him. "All of them were apparently simply doing their job of informing the public." At least 20 Palestinian journalists have been arrested since the start of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian towns and cities on 29 March. The five journalists are Maher el-Dessuki, of Al-Quds Educational TV, Kamal Ali Jbeil, of the daily Al-Quds, Hussam Abu Alan, a photographer for Agence France-Presse (AFP), Yusri el-Jamal, a Reuters sound man, and Ayman el-Kawasmi, head of the local radio station El Horriya. Sound man Jamal and Mazen Dana, a Reuters cameraman, were arrested by Israeli soldiers on 30 April outside the hospital in Hebron where they had gone to film wounded people. The soldiers took them, blindfolded and handcuffed, to the district coordination office where they were forced to lie on the floor for several hours without food or drink. They were interrogated next morning. Dana received apologies and was freed, but Jamal was held prisoner because, according to a letter to Reuters from the Israeli army, he was suspected of "aiding a terror organisation." Also on 30 April, Kawasmi was arrested at his home and also taken, handcuffed and blindfolded, to the district coordination office. The next day, he was taken to the Ofer detention centre, near Ramallah. Soldiers destroyed all the equipment at his radio station. Photographer Alan was arrested on 24 April at the Beit Anun checkpoint near Hebron. Along with Reuters cameraman Dana and other journalists, he was going to Bani Naim to cover the funeral of two Palestinians. Alan was blindfolded and handcuffed. Dana was freed a few hours later. Alan, who has worked for AFP for seven years, is suspected by the army of "aiding the Tanzim terror organisation". Like most Palestinian journalists, he has not been able to get his Israeli press card renewed since the beginning of the year. It is not known where he is being held. Dessuki and Jbeil were arrested by Israeli soldiers on 18 April and are being held at the Ofer centre. Jbeil was officially remanded in custody for three months on 5 May.