The signatories said in a press statement that the coalition “would act to defend the freedom of expression and press in Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) through a variety of activities.”
They added that the coalition “will coordinate with keen Palestinian parties to respect freedom of expression and the rule of law in the OPT.”
The coalition comprises Al-Haq, Al-Dameer, Marsad, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the Palestine Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), the Palestinian Institute for Media and Development, Ben Media, the Palestine News Network (PNN), the Women’s Affairs Center, the Media Development Center/Bir Zeit University, the Treatment & Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture, the Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies, Hurriyyat, the Center for Media Freedom, the Creative Woman Center, the Sharek Forum and the Media Women’s Forum.
According to the signatories, “participation in the coalition is open for all Palestinian civil society institutions and key Palestinian figures.”
They added that the coalition was established “in light of the continued violations in the OPT by Israeli forces and Palestinian security services in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.”
MADA said that there are repeated violations against Palestinian journalists in the OPT in the past month, 16 of which were against journalists, with the remaining against their property.
The center said that these violations were by the Israeli occupation forces and the Palestinian security services in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The center said that the incidents are in clear violation of the right to freedom of expression under both Palestinian Basic Law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
According to Article 19 of Palestinian Law, “every person shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and expression, and shall have the right to publish his opinion orally, in writing, or in any form of art, or through any other form of expression, provided that it does not contradict with the provisions of law.”
