An award-winning Palestinian female journalist has been forced to go into hiding out of fear of being arrested by the Palestinian Authority security forces for covering a sit-in strike.Naturally, the leftists who obsess over every aspect of Israel's supposed anti-democratic nature are absolutely silent over this. Their avowed liberalism stops where Arab autonomy starts.
Over the weekend, the PA’s Preventive Security Force in the West Bank arrested her two brothers in an attempt to put pressure on her to turn herself in.
The journalist, Majdoleen Hassouneh, has twice refused to report for interrogation at the headquarters of the Preventive Security Force in Nablus.
Hassouneh’s friends and colleagues have launched a Facebook campaign in solidarity with her and in protest against the PA government’s measures against Palestinian journalists and freedom of the media.
Hassouneh, a graduate of An-Najah University in Nablus, is the recipient of the best investigative reporter award from the Thomas Foundation for an investigation into the medical field in the Palestinian territories.
Last week, she received a phone call from a Preventive Security Force officer who demanded that she report immediately at the headquarters of the apparatus in Nablus.
When she failed to show up, the Preventive Security Force sent her a written summons asking her to report for questioning on Saturday morning.
The letter warned that she would be arrested if she failed to show up.
Hassouneh, who lives in Beit Umrin, near Nablus, announced that she would not go to the security headquarters and described the invitation as an attempt to restrict her freedom of expression.
She said that the Preventive Security Force was trying to force her to sign a document that would limit her freedom of expression as a working journalist.
A number of Palestinian journalists said they have already been asked by PA security forces in the West Bank to sign similar documents where they pledge to cover certain events.
On Saturday night, PA security officers raided Hassouneh’s family home in an attempt to arrest her, but she was not there.
The officers detained her two brothers and told the family that she must report for questioning immediately.
(h/t Yoel)