Gaza reporter jailed by PA (illustrative)
Gaza reporter jailed by PA (illustrative)Israel news photo: Flash 90

The Palestinian Authority government, hailed by the United States as a democracy, has jailed a Hamas-linked journalist after his arrest in connection with covering news in Judea and Samaria.

Amer Abu Arfa, a correspondent for the Gaza-based Shihab news agency, was sentenced by a Hevron court to three months in prison and fined 500 Jordanian dinars ($700). He was convicted on charges of “resisting the policies of authorities,” according to Shihab director Rimah Mubarak.

Abu Arfa's father told the Committee to Protect Journalists that his son was pulled from their home on May 11 by PA intelligence services. He added that he was concerned about the possibility that his son would be abused while in PA prison.

According to a CPJ report, Al-Aqsa Satellite Television reporter Tareq Abu Zaid was sentenced by PA authorities in January to 18 months in prison for “transferring information and money.” The Gaza-based Al-Aqsa TV station was outlawed by the Ramallah-based PA government in 2007, the CPJ said.

The journalists' organization issued a statement calling on PA Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas to release the two journalists immediately.

“There is a history of harassment of journalists working for Gaza-based media or outlets perceived to be pro-Hamas,” the group stated. “We call on authorities in both Gaza and the West Bank not to use journalists as pawns in a political power struggle.”

Several pro-Hamas newspapers, such as the Al-Risala weekly and the Al-Falastin daily, have been banned in Judea and Samaria. Less than a month ago, Gaza's ruling Hamas faction also outlawed from the region three Ramallah-based PA newspapers.

The privately-owned Al-Quds, as well as Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat al-Jadida, were all stopped from distributing in the region despite Israel's relaxation of its prior ban on allowing the newspapers through the Gaza crossings.

Hamas security personnel blocked distributors at the Erez Crossing from bringing the newspapers into the region when they came to deliver the first editions on July 7.