Gaza, 16/06/2015 --- Press House – Palestine organized a meeting that gathered Palestinian journalists with the General Tayseer Al Batsh - general director of police in Gaza Strip - and the various departments of police at Adam Hotel West of Gaza City.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Head of the Board of Directors of Press House - Belal Jadallah - made remarks in which he welcomed the leadership of Gaza police and the journalists, stating that this meeting is the first of its kind; as it brings together both journalists and police, face to face, in an attempt to enhance the freedom of speech and to discuss the concerns of journalists with the police apparatus in the Gaza Strip.
The journalist Abdel Nasser Abed Aoun - the head of broadcasters at the Voice of Jerusalem Radio station - moderated the meeting; where at the beginning of his speech, he reviewed the duties that police must respect with regard to journalistic work as well as the provision of a sound environment for journalists to practice their job smoothly.
For his turn, the General Tayseer Albatsh – the general director of Gaza police -confirmed that police’ decisions are meant to facilitate the journalists’ work and give them more freedom.
He also stressed that there are laws and regulations that control the Police Department work to punish police officers who break the law.
General Albatsh called journalists in Gaza to transfer the information in an objective manner and communicate with the police spokesman to take the information from reliable sources.
He called on journalists and citizens to go to the police and Security Department for any complaint against any member of the police breaching the law and infringing on any citizen or hampering the work of journalists, pointing out that there are police detention centers in which each individual will be held accountable for violating the law.
At the end of the meeting, a discussion took place and journalists were given the chance to ask questions to the police, who carefully listened to their complaints and addressed their concerns.
This meeting comes under the umbrella of “Face the Press” program implemented by Press House and funded by the Norwegian and Swiss governments, aiming at promoting freedom of speech and democracy.
