The Euro-Mediterranean Observer for Human Rights (EMOHR) has strongly condemned the continued targeting of Palestinian journalists by Israeli authorities, and called for releasing journalist Mohamed Saba'na detained on Saturday.
The Observatory said in a statement on Sunday that the occupation authorities had carried out 14 arbitrary arrests against journalists in 2012, and transferred most of them to administrative detention.
It called for the immediate release of journalist Mohammed Saba'na, who works in the Palestinian al-Hayat al-Jadida newspaper and who has been arrested on Saturday while entering the Palestinian territories through the Karama crossing.
EMOHR has revealed that the arrests of journalists might be related to their work and because they are exposing facts about occupation rather than any security issues.
The Human Rights observatory warned that the continuation of such violations against journalists represents an ongoing violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the World Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adding that the administrative detention is considered an offense under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Friends of Humanity International Organization also demanded the Israeli authorities to release the Palestinian artist Mohammed Abdul Ghani Saba'na, 30. He has been arrested two days ago at Karama crossing, while returning from Jordan after his participation in the cartoonists' conference, and was taken to an unknown destination.
The human rights group condemned the arrest campaign against journalists by the occupation authorities "as it represents flagrant violation of the freedom of press and expression."
