Female journalists refuse to meet Palestinian PM after being attacked by PA forces

Ramallah (QNN)- Palestinian female journalists, who were arrested and assaulted by the Palestinian Authority forces, refused to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh.

The female Journalists said they refused to meet Shtayyeh who wanted to listen to them after they were brutally arrested and assaulted for their participating in a protest against the PA’s killing and assassination of activist Nizar Banat and the PA forces brutally crackdown and arrest of protesters and activists.

The journalists told the spokesperson of the government, Ibrahim Melhem, that any apology is not accepted as long as the government has not held accountable those responsible for attacking and assaulting them.

The female journalists told the spokesperson that they were brutally attacked, photographed, and blackmailed by the PA forces on the same day when the Prime Minister said his government respects freedom of opinion and the freedom of journalists’ work.

The journalists also denounced the spokesperson’s apology and the PM’s invitation to meet them, saying they are still blackmailed by posting their private pictures on social media as the PA Security Forces are still seizing their phones.

Nizar Banat’s killing by the PA’s forces during his arrest has been met with anger on the streets and condemnation from Palestinian factions and human rights organizations.

In response, Palestinians have been rallying to the streets to express their anger and condemnation. However, the PA’s forces have prevented the demonstrators and suppressed the protesters and activists and violently attacked them.

At least 10 Palestinian activists, lawyers, writers and journalists were arrested on Monday night by the PA’s forces following their participation in a protest in Ramallah against the killing of Nizar Banat and the PA forces crackdown and arrest of activists.

The PA yesterday released some of those who were arrested on Monday.

Journalist Gehan Awad told Quds News Network (QNN), “We wore bullet proof vests in the center of Ramallah. We may not have survived from the batons, but we made sure of the survival of the truth.”

QNN reporter, Najlaa Zaytoun, said that the medical staff refused to register her injuries as an attack by the PA forces, instead they gave her unsealed reports which state her attack was by unknown people.

Journalist Faihaa khanfar told QNN that during covering the protests, there were deliberate and intensive attacks against the journalists because they were covering and documenting the protests and the attacks.

She added that one of the PA forces dressed in civilian clothes attacked her in a side street and it seems from the way he assaulted and attacked her that he trained on the way of attack.

She said he violently tried to snatch her phone off her hand, but she grabbed it.

He then dragged her on the ground to the main street, but one of her colleagues rescued her from his hands, khanfar said, adding this was the first attack on her by the PA forces.

Journalist Shatha Hammad was also shot in the face with a gas canister when the forces violently dispersed protests in Ramallah on Saturday.

Journalist Saja al-Elmi said the forces targeted the journalists directly.

“The PA officer dressed in civilian clothes was pointing at me and my colleague and ordered another officer to take photos for me and my colleague so that they can recognize us later,” al-Elmi said.

She added, “I resisted the PA’s forces violent attempt to confiscate my phone and I refused to give it to them. I then managed to escape to nearby building and hide in a female toilet.”