IPI calls PA to lift the ban on Palestinian websites

United States (QNN)- The International Press Institute (IPI) on Wednesday condemned the blocking of 59 websites, including news portals, by a court of the Palestinian Authority and called for the restrictions to be lifted immediately.

IPI Executive Board Vice Chair Daoud Kuttab criticized the cybercrime law “which was the basis for this undemocratic court decision”.

“It is also important that the government and the presidency come clean in a transparent way by unmasking who is behind this controversial lawsuit which has caused damage to Palestinian democracy and the well fought for tradition of freedom of expression and media”, Kuttab added.

The Magistrate’s Court decided last week to block 59 websites, including QNN’s, accusing them of harming the PA and the civil peace. All blocked websites are critical of the PA while not a site single on the blocked list is Israeli.