LONDON: Israel has been added to the list of the “worst jailers of journalists” for the first time, according to a report released by the Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday.
In its annual report, the media watchdog found that there were 17 Palestinian reporters held in Israeli jails as of Dec. 1, placing the country in sixth position alongside states like Iran.
“Israel’s standing in CPJ’s 2023 prison census is evidence that a fundamental democratic norm — press freedom — is fraying as Israel exploits draconian methods to silence Palestinian journalists. This practice must stop,” said Jodie Ginsberg, CPJ’s CEO.
The number of Palestinian journalists in detention is the highest it has been since recordkeeping began in 1992, the report found.
The report drew attention to Israel’s practice of administrative detention, which allows the army to arrest individuals solely based on suspicion, with some Palestinians being held for extended periods without charge. The number of Palestinians held without trial soared during the recent conflict in Gaza.
By comparison, one Palestinian reporter was held in an Israeli prison in the previous year, according to the New York-based non-profit group.
China and Myanmar topped the list as the worst offenders, imprisoning over 40 journalists each in 2023, followed by Belarus, Russia, and Vietnam.
B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, echoed concerns about the lack of a viable defense against such detentions.
According to B’Tselem, detainees face undisclosed allegations, leaving them in a helpless situation without knowledge of whether they will be released or charged, tried, or convicted.
In the last year, the CPJ reported a total of 320 reporters and media workers imprisoned globally, with one in five held without charge.
The organization said that prolonged pretrial detentions and cruel treatment are prevalent, with some governments persecuting journalists beyond their borders.
“Across the world, we have reached a critical moment. We need to see an end to the weaponization of laws that silence reporting and ensure journalists are free to report,” Ginsberg said, adding that during a year full of key elections — in the US, UK, EU, India, and Taiwan — “anything less is a disservice to democracy and harms us all.”
The detained Palestinian journalists include Alaa Al-Rimawi, director of the banned West Bank news agency J-Media, and Tarek Al-Sharif, the presenter of a radio phone-in show charged with incitement.
Other detainees include journalists with a Ramallah-based television station, a freelance cameraman for Al Jazeera and Jordanian television, and a correspondent for a London-based press agency.
These arrests contribute to a broader pattern of risks faced by journalists reporting on the Israel-Gaza war.
According to the CPJ, at least 83 media workers, predominantly Palestinian, have been killed in Gaza. The organization documented multiple incidents of journalists facing assaults, threats, cyberattacks, and censorship in both Israel and Palestine.
