The Doha-based Al Jazeera News Channel’s journalist Givara Budeiri was arrested and assaulted brutally by the Israeli forces while the reporter and camera man were covering the demonstrations in the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah.
According to a statement issued yesterday, the channel said that, “Al Jazeera holds the Israeli government responsible for her welfare and demands her immediate release.”
The cameraman for Al Jazeera, Nabil Mazzawi, also had his camera wrecked by the Israeli forces while taking the video of the brutal assault.
Speaking on the assault, Dr. Mostefa Souag, Acting Director-General stated: “We condemn the actions of the Israeli occupation forces in the strongest terms. The systematic targeting of our journalists is in total violation of all international conventions. Today’s violent actions by Israeli occupation forces against Givara Budeiri and Nabil Mazzawi are in total disregard for the fundamental human rights of journalists.”
He also said that, “The silencing of journalists by terrorising them has become a routine activity for the Israeli authorities as witnessed in recent weeks in Gaza and occupied Jerusalem. These actions cannot be viewed in isolation. Today’s arrests come just two weeks after the bombing and destruction of the Al Jalaa building, which housed Al Jazeera and other media organisations offices in Gaza.
“Such attempts to prevent journalists from carrying out their professional duty to inform the world and report events on the ground is a crime against the journalistic profession,” he added.
During the assault, Al Jazeera’s journalist Givara Budeiri was heard shouting “Don’t touch me” several times against the brutal attack by the Israeli forces.
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