Press House organizes a legal awareness session on the topic of “Journalist’s Rights In front of the Law Enforcement Agencies”

Gaza – Press House

On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, Press House – Palestine (BAS) organized a legal awareness session on the topic of “Journalist’s Rights In front of the enforcement agencies” as part of “Legal Protection for the Palestinian Journalists” project activities in partnership with European Endowment for Democracy.

With consideration of high prevention measures to prevent the outbreak of COVID19, Mr. Abdullah Sharshra, Coordinator of the Legal Protection Unit at Press House, Ms. Fatma Ashour, Lawyer and the facilitator of the session, a number of journalists (women and men), media graduates, and legal college graduates participated in the session.

Mr. Abdullah Sharahra opened the session indicating that Press House provides the journalists with legal services, such as legal consulting and auditing journalistic martials. He also mentioned that Press House held six legal awareness workshops last month for journalists in addition to other series of legal awareness activities will be conducted this year to raise the legal awareness for the Palestinian journalists (women and men.)

Ms. Fatma Ashour reviewed the session’s aspects represented by the legal rights of journalists when they are arrested at detention centers, or by the Public Prosecution and the judiciary, and when they are subjected to inspection.

She also said, "the session aims to raise journalists' awareness level to protect themselves, and take the proper legal measures in case they are exposed to any infringement or violation by resorting to legal representatives or human rights institutions."

Furthermore, she touched on the rights of journalists (women and men) before law enforcement agencies if they are subjected to legal accountability and how to act legally in front of them.

Ashour talked about the duration and location of the arrest and the proper legal procedures to implement it calling on male and female journalists not to neglect the legal aspect. She also pointed out that they may face problems in the summons, in addition to confiscating their press equipment, prevent them from writing, or penalizing them for expressing their opinions.

At the end, Ms. Ashour stressed the need of taking advantage of all the courses that increase the level of legal awareness of journalists (women and men) and the importance of guiding them to human rights institutions in case they are exposed to any violation.

The awareness session included many participations from journalists (women and men); most of them focused on the necessity of legal awareness for journalists to avoid legal accountability and the importance of holding legal awareness workshops and courses for journalists and media graduates to be aware of the journalistic work in Palestine.