Occupation extends detention of Jerusalemite journalist on charges of collaborating with a media network

The Magistrate's Court of the occupation in occupied Jerusalem issued a decision to extend the detention of independent Palestinian journalist Shireen Al-Obeid for an additional three days. This decision came after the occupation police charged the journalist with providing services to an organization described as 'terrorist' according to Israeli classifications, based on her professional activity in documenting field events.

The details of the case date back to last Sunday, when occupation forces arrested Al-Obeid while she was walking in a street in East Jerusalem. Hebrew sources claimed that the journalist was sending news videos to the 'Al-Qastal' media network, a platform that former occupation security minister Yoav Gallant placed on the banned lists in late 2023.

Journalistic reports stated that the video materials on which the indictment was based do not contain any incitement or calls for violence, but are merely documentation of public events. Nevertheless, the occupation authorities insist on prosecuting Jerusalemite journalists who provide local platforms with news content, in an attempt to restrict the Palestinian narrative in the Holy City.

During the court session, the occupation police requested to extend Al-Obeid's detention for seven days to complete the investigations, claiming a security risk in her activity. However, Judge 'Ghad Arnberg' decided to suffice with only three days, indicating that the narrative presented by the journalist needs legal examination and scrutiny before taking longer-term measures.

For his part, lawyer Muhammad Mahmoud, who is representing Al-Obeid, criticized the behavior of the prosecution and the police, stressing that the prosecutor tried to mislead the court by implying that the published materials were very recent. Mahmoud clarified that the videos under investigation date back to the end of last year and the beginning of January, which negates the alleged urgency or danger.

The defense questioned why the occupation resorted to direct field arrest instead of an official summons for investigation, especially since an arrest warrant had been issued against her a month ago without being executed. The lawyer considered that this laxity in execution proves that the security services did not see any real threat in the journalist throughout the past weeks.

Lawyer Mahmoud pointed out that it would have been more appropriate to officially inform the journalist of the ban on dealing with that media network if the goal was to apply the law, rather than surprising her with an arrest. He stressed that his client works independently and was not necessarily fully aware of the complex legal classifications imposed by the occupation on media institutions.

In a related context, informed sources stated that the targeted 'Al-Qastal' network continues its journalistic work by relying on open-source materials and field reports from Jerusalem and the West Bank. The targeting of its collaborators comes within a broader campaign launched by the occupation authorities against media institutions that report on settler violations and incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Despite an appeal against the extension decision, the Central Court in Jerusalem rejected the appeal submitted by the defense team and upheld the Magistrate's Court's decision. This decision means that journalist Al-Obeid remains in detention centers under ongoing investigation, raising human rights concerns about her detention conditions and her deprivation of exercising her work.

Data indicates that the occupation has begun to use the charge of 'providing services to terrorist organizations' as a legal pretext to prosecute anyone who contributes to conveying news from within Jerusalem. This policy directly targets independent journalists who do not enjoy major institutional protection, making them vulnerable to continuous arrest and abuse.

Human rights centers confirm that the prosecution of Shireen Al-Obeid falls within the systematic 'silencing of voices' policy in the Holy City, where professional journalistic work is criminalized. These centers consider the classification of media institutions as terrorist organizations to be a political tool aimed at isolating Jerusalem from its Arab and international media environment.

It is worth noting that journalist Al-Obeid had documented a series of important events in Jerusalem in recent months, including restrictions on worshippers and house demolitions. It appears that this intensive field activity is the real reason behind her prosecution, far from the security justifications put forward by intelligence agencies in courtrooms.

At the end of the session, the judge confirmed that the journalist did not deny sending the videos, but he acknowledged that this confession alone is not enough to prove criminal intent related to supporting terrorism. Nevertheless, he maintained the detention decision on the grounds of 'reasonable suspicion,' a vague legal term used by the occupation to justify administrative and temporary arrests.

Journalistic circles in Jerusalem await what the coming days will bring, amidst calls for international protection for Palestinian journalists who face the daily risk of arrest. Al-Obeid's case remains a stark example of the challenges faced by media professionals under the emergency laws and unjust security classifications imposed by the occupation.

Throughout this period, my client was not considered dangerous, and suddenly she became dangerous? And why was she not summoned instead of being arrested in the street?