Palestinian journalists jailed for violating censorship during Gaza invasion

Date: 14 / 06 / 2009 Time: 18:43


Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – An Israeli court sentenced two Palestinian journalists to prison for reporting on Israel’s invasion of Gaza in January in violation of military censorship.

The Jerusalem District Court sentenced East Jerusalem residents Kadir Shahin, 34, and Muhammed Sarhan, 26, to two months in prison with six months probation. Shahin was employed as a reporter and Sarhan as a producer for the Arabic-language Iranian satellite channel Al-Alam.

The two were accused of reporting the beginning of Israel’s ground invasion on 3 January 2009 before it was cleared for publication by the military censor. Stationed on the Israeli side of the Gaza border, Shahin observed tanks and troop carriers moving advancing toward Gaza and reported this on air.

The defense attorneys said they would appeal the ruling argued that their clients had meant no harm.