The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate in the Gaza Strip on
Saturday called for the release of Palestinian journalists who have been
arrested by Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank.
The
syndicate warned that freedom of expression had "seriously deteriorated" in the
West Bank, especially in the past few weeks.
It pointed out that PA
security forces arrested five Palestinian journalists in the past month - two of
whom remain in prison.
One of the journalists, Walid Khaled, has been on
hunger strike since his arrest on September 18, the syndicate said. Khaled was
arrested by the PA only days after he had been released from Israeli
prison.
Khaled works for the Palestinian newspaper Falasteen. Last week a
PA judge ordered his release, but the PA has refused to obey the
order.
The second journalist is Mohammed Muna, who works as a
correspondent for the Quds Press news agency. He too had previously been
imprisoned by Israel.
Since his release from Israeli prison, the PA
security forces have arrested him at least five times before the last
incarceration.
The two journalists were among dozens of Palestinians who
were rounded up by various PA security forces in the West Bank in recent weeks
on suspicion of being affiliated with Hamas.
PA security sources said
that the two journalists were arrested supporting Hamas and inciting against the
PA leadership.