Media institutes condemn re-arrest of journalist Sabri in W. Bank

Media institutes condemn re-arrest of journalist Sabri in W. Bank

[ 31/07/2009 - 04:00 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- The Palestinian Institute for communication and development has strongly condemned Thursday the PA security forces for arresting Palestinian journalist Mustafa Sabri three days after he was released from jail.

After three days from his release from the jails of the infamous PA preventive security apparatus in Qalqilia city, Sabri was kidnapped again but this time at the hands of the PA military intelligence for unknown reasons, the institution revealed in a statement it issued Thursday and a copy of which was obtained by the PIC.

"It is clear that they (PA security apparatuses in the West Bank) are practicing the abhorred rotating door policy that had prevailed in the past but the Palestinian people thought it had gone forever", the institution pointed out.

According to the institution, the re-arrest of Sabri constitutes strong blow to the Palestinian Judiciary system in the West Bank and belies claims of the illegitimate prime minister there Salam Fayyad that his "government" was implementing orders of the courts.

The high court had ordered the immediate release of Sabri 45 days ago, but the PA security forces refused to carry out the order and retained the man in jail before their comrades in the PA military intelligence arbitrarily rounded him again a couple of days ago.

Furthermore, the institution explained that "It is either the PA security forces in the West Bank take the law into their hand and pay no attention to the orders of the courts, or they practice the rotating door policy based on political instructions which the institution strongly rejects".

In this concern, the institution called on Fayyad to immediately release all detained journalists, on top of them Sabri, to stop arresting media men, and not to violate freedom of media and freedom of journalists anymore.

The institute also urged the family of Sabri to go to the high court again to get a new order to release their son, stressing that PA jails should be cleared of political detainees and prisoners of conscience, describing the journalists as "horsemen of the fourth authority".