Annual Prison Census 2012 - Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Journalists in prison as of December 1, 2012

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: 3

Amer Abu Arafa, Shihab News Agency
Imprisoned: August 21, 2011

An Israeli military court ordered that Abu Arafa, a correspondent for the Gaza-based Shihab News Agency, be held in administrative detention. Under administrative detention procedures, authorities may hold an individual for six months without charge or trial and may extend the detention an unlimited number of times. Abu Arafa's detention was extended most recently in October 2012. His family told Shihab that authorities had accused the journalist of being a "security threat," although no formal charges had been filed by late 2012.

The news agency, based in the Gaza Strip, pursues an editorial line that is critical of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, CPJ research shows. Abu Arafa covered news in Hebron and the surrounding area for the agency, Shihab told CPJ. Shortly before his arrest, in August 2011, Abu Arafa wrote a story about the arrests of 120 Hamas members by Israeli authorities in Hebron, Shihab told CPJ.

Abu Arafa had been arrested before, in May 2010, by Palestinian security forces, CPJ research shows. His father told Shihab that his son was taken from their home by Palestinian intelligence agents for reasons linked to his work. Two months later, a Palestinian court sentenced Abu Arafa to three months in prison and a fine of 500 Jordanian dinars (US$700) after finding him guilty of "resisting the policies of the authorities" in connection with his reporting, Shihab told CPJ at the time.

Sharif Alrjoub, Al-Aqsa Radio
Imprisoned: June 3, 2012

Israeli security forces arrested Alrjoub, Hebron correspondent for Jerusalem-based Al-Aqsa Radio, during an early-morning raid at his home, according to news reports. Alrjoub covered Israeli detentions of Palestinians and demonstrations against the expansion of Israeli settlements for the independent Palestinian station.

Alrjoub was being held in the Ofer administrative detention center. Under administrative detention procedures, authorities may hold detainees for six months without charge or trial and then extend the detention an unlimited number of times. No charges had been brought against him as of late year.

Israeli security forces had previously arrested Aljroub in 2007, holding him for seven months, according to news reports.

Mohammed Atallah al-Tamimi, Tamimi Press Agency
Imprisoned: October 10, 2012

Israeli soldiers arrested al-Tamimi, a Palestinian reporter and editor for his family-run Tamimi Press Agency, during an early-morning raid at his home in the West Bank town of Nabi Saleh, according to news reports. The Tamimi Press Agency covers demonstrations against Israeli expansion of settlements in the West Bank, CPJ research shows.

Al-Tamimi, 24, was being held in the Ofer detention center, his agency told CPJ. In late year, the Ofer military court sentenced al-Tamimi to three months in prison and a fine of 3,000 shekels (US$784) on charges of "participating in illegal protests," according to the agency. Tamimi Press told CPJ that al-Tamimi had regularly covered the weekly protests.