The administrative detention of Palestinian journalist Omar Nazzal has been renewed for three additional months for the third time. An administrative detention order was initially issued against him on 02 May 2016 and was set to end on 22 August 2016.
During his last confirmation hearing held on 22 November 2016, Mr. Nazzal's administrative detention order was limited to one and a half month and was expected to be released on 24 December 2016. However, his ordered was renewed for three additional months by the military commander yesterday, 12 December 2016.
Occupation forces arrested the journalist Omar Nazzal, a member of the General Secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, and president of the Democratic Journalists Union on 23 April 2016, from the Allenby Bridge while en route to participation in the European Federation of Journalists General Meeting.
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association condemns the continued and systematic targeting and arrests of journalists, including Mr. Nazzal, in contravention with the internationally codified freedom of expression and of movement. Journalists continue to be targeted for practicing their professions and reporting and investigating human rights violations in occupied Palestine.
Administrative detention orders are issued either at the time of arrest or at some later date and are based on “secret information” collected by the Israeli Security Agency. Neither the detainee nor his lawyer is ever informed of the reasons for the detention or given access to the “secret information.”