Arrest of security officer shines light on freedom of expression in Palestine
The arrest of a Palestinian government employee critical of President Mahmoud Abbas is indicative of the constraints on freedom of expression that Palestinian journalists face.
On Oct. 16, a Palestinian Authority (PA) military court handed down a year-and-a-half jail sentence to Osama Mansour Abu Arab, a communications officer with the Palestinian security services in charge of public relations. Abu Arab, who served in the unit responsible for security coordination with Israel, received a quick court martial in Ramallah after he used his Facebook page to mock Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his decision to participate in the funeral of Israeli leader Shimon Peres.
“You can visit the mother of Yasser Hamduna [convicted of murdering an Israeli in 2003], who died in Israeli custody [on Sept. 25], and ask her what she thinks [about your attending the funeral],” Abu Arab wrote Sept. 30. He then went on to say that if Abbas made the decision to participate in the funeral on his own, he was wrong, and if he was following the suggestion of his advisers, he was misguided. “There should be no personal or friendly relations with the occupier, as long as they continue with their arrogant policies against our people,” Abu Arab asserted.
