Palestinian Authority forces shut down J-Media office, summon director for interrogation

Ramallah (QNN)- Palestinian Authority forces have shut down J-Media office in Ramallah and summoned its director Alaa Al-Rimawi on Tuesday evening.

The director of the Ramallah office Alaa Al-Rimawi told Quds News Network that the PA forces had closed the network’s office after “prohibiting (the) staff from accessing it or removing any of their personal belongings or even giving a reason for closing the office .”

He also said that he later received a summons for interrogation at the Ramallah public prosecution.

Al-Rimawi called for “holding a press conference at the Lawyers for Justice syndicate to discuss J-Media’s office closure.”

Al-Rimawi have also started a hunger and water strike in protest against the shutting down of the office by the PA forces and for summoning him for interrogation.

Al-Rimawi told QNN that the closure of the office is only a political decision, adding Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh is behind this decision as he wants to take revenge of Palestinian news media.

He added that Shtayyeh claims the government respects freedom of opinion and the freedom of journalists’ work while he and the government fight the freedom of opinion.

Al-Rimawi stressed that Shtayyeh is responsible for what happens to the Palestinian journalists as he pledged to respect the freedom of journalists’ work when the PA forces brutally attacked and assaulted several Palestinian journalists last month.

On July 6, Palestinian Authority released Al-Rimawi after they arrested him on July 3 over a speech he gave at the funeral of the Nizar Banat, an outspoken critic of the PA who was killed on June 24, during his arrest by the PA’s forces.

Also, at least 25 Palestinian activists, lawyers, writers and journalists were arrested on July by the PA’s forces following their participation in a protest against the killing of Nizar Banat and against the PA forces brutally crackdown and arrest of protesters and activists.

The PA’s forces, however, brutally assaulted them for their participation in such protests, confiscated their cell phones, tried to prevent them from covering the forces’ suppression of the protesters.

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 rallied to the streets to express their anger and condemnation while chanting against the PA president, Mahmoud Abbas, and calling him to step down.

The protestors have also called to conduct a comprehensive investigation into what happened and to ensure that those responsible for Banat’s death were punished.

Also, the PA’s forces dressed in civilian clothes, walking in the peaceful protests and brutally assaulting the protesters using batons and stones.

Moreover, after they stole their personal handbags and snatched phones off the hands of female protesters, the PA forces were blackmailing the female protesters online after they participated in the protests by posting private pictures of the female protesters on social media, in an attempt to blackmail and intimidate them to suppress their voice.