Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, May 6, 2018
On Sunday, 06 May 2018, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) organized a campaign titled as “No to targeting the truth” on the World Press Freedom Day coinciding the third of May. The report included the release of PCHR’s two reports on freedom of expression, the first titled “Freedom of opinion and expression in the Palestinian Authority (PA)”; while the second titled “Silencing the Press” on Israeli forces’ violations against journalists and the media. The event, which was held in the Light House Restaurant’s hall in Gaza City, was attended by a large number of journalists, representatives of human rights and community-based organizations, and politicians.
The meeting started with introductory speeches by PCHR’s director and directors of the five effective media institutions in the Gaza Strip.
Raji Sourani, PCHR’s Director, he had an intervention in which he stressed the importance of journalists’ role and their integration with human rights work as part of human rights defenders. Sourani pointed out that the press is one of the most important standards in human rights, which is the basis for democracy and human rights. Sourani added: “If there is no immunity and respect for freedom of the press and supported by law, then democracy becomes a dead letter”. Sourani confirmed that Israel historically denied the truth and monopolized it, in addition to rigging its history to justify its crimes against the Palestinians. Therefore, the journalists’ generation should have the courage to tell the truth and expose the Israeli claims…