The incident comes a week after a court in the occupied West Bank of Ramallah ordered the closure of several Al Jazeera websites. Earlier, the Palestinian Authority’s Cabinet Committee justified the forced closure of the West Bank office, accusing the media outlet of broadcasting “incendiary” content, “misinformation, incitement, and interference in Palestinian internal affairs.”
“Closing down a prominent international news organization and one of the largest in the region is a disproportionate, unnecessary and harsh restriction on freedom of expression and the access to information for the Palestinian people and a regional and global audience. “It interferes with the rights of people,” the experts said. statement.
“We are deeply alarmed by the Palestinian Authority’s attacks on freedom of expression,” they asserted.
Websites ordered to be shut down
On January 1, 2025, the Palestinian Attorney General ordered the suspension of Al Jazeera’s operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. The decision bans Al Jazeera from broadcasting and operating, including the work of its affiliated journalists, employees and crew.
The suspension follows a letter from the Palestinian Minister of Culture based on a decision by the tripartite committee responsible for licensing terrestrial, satellite radio, and television stations (a specialized ministerial committee that includes the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Communications). It is.
On January 5, the Ramallah Magistrate’s Court ordered Al Jazeera, including aljazeera.net, aljazeera.net/live, aljazeera360.com and global.ajplus.net, on the grounds that the content published “threatened national security”. ordered the closure of several websites for four months. and inciting crime. ”
“We believe that the Palestinian Authority’s decision to ban Al Jazeera is a critical response to the agency’s criticism of the violent crackdown by Palestinian security forces that has taken place since December 5, 2024 in the Jenin refugee camp and throughout the occupied West Bank. “We note with grave concern the decision taken after reports that at least eight Palestinians, including a young female journalist, were killed in the violence,” the expert said.
“At a time when violence and human rights abuses are escalating, the decision to ban Al Jazeera based on vague and unsubstantiated claims confirms that the Palestinian Authority’s real objective is to prevent international scrutiny and silence objectionable criticism. “This suggests that,” they argued.
free and independent
“Free and independent media, including an international media presence, is critical to ensuring transparency and accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
In Gaza, Israel has banned all international journalists from reporting within the enclave since the outbreak of war in October 2023. Dozens of Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli forces while covering the conflict, according to international news organizations, including the United Nations Cultural Organization. UNESCO.
The experts, who are not U.N. staff and are not paid for their work, have urged the Palestinian Authority to ban Al Jazeera in Israel and the occupied territories and close its Ramallah office last year. He urged them not to follow the example of
“Without independent reporting, potential human rights violations and violations of international law may go unreported, creating an environment of widespread impunity,” the experts said.
Experts expressed concerns to Israel and the Palestinian Authority about freedom of expression and restrictions on journalists.
