Was British journalist detained by Hamas in Gaza looking for captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit?
Marian Houk
February 15, 2010
Freelance British Journalist Paul Martin -- apparently a documentary filmmaker -- was detained yesterday at a courthouse in Gaza City by Hamas authorities on "suspicion of breaking local/'Palestinian' laws", and has now been ordered held 15 days, and is now in Gaza City's central prison. As the AP reports, this is "an unprecedented step against a foreign reporter since the Islamic militants seized control of Gaza in 2007".
The AP report noted that "Hamas has prided itself in ending the lawlessness of vigilante gunmen, and has largely stayed clear of foreign journalists since seizing the territory in 2007. It wasn't immediately clear whether Mr. Martin's arrest signaled a change in policy. The Interior Ministry statement said foreigners are welcome in Gaza, but that 'anyone who tries to violate the security of Gaza will be held accountable'."
Ma'an News Agency reported this morning that the spokesman of what they editorially refer to as the "de facto Ministry of Interior" in Gaza, Ihab Al-Ghussein, "told Ma'an that an arrest warrant for Martin was issued following the confession of a defendant charged with collaborating with Israel. The defendant 'has confessed against the British journalist and said he [Martin] violated Palestinian law and the security in Gaza', Al-Ghussein said".
However, as Ma'an noted, Martin was detained as he arrived to testify at the trial of the man whose accusations were then used as the basis for Martin's arrest. Ma'an described the man as "a Palestinian fighter accused of collaborating with Israel, a journalist present at the courthouse in Gaza City told Ma'an".
Ma'an reported that " 'This person [the Palestinian] was accused by the government of being a collaborator with the Israeli side. Our colleague [Martin] came as a witness to testify in favor of this guy', the journalist said. Martin arrived in Gaza with evidence proving the accused man had fought against the Israeli military, the journalist added. 'Suddenly, the court announced that the reporter said something that is against the law, and it jailed him for 15 days for investigation', according to the journalist, who said Martin had interviewed the accused man during Israel's assault on Gaza [n.b. - the IDF's Operation Cast Lead] , which began in late December 2008".
Ma'an reported additionally that "Palestinian security sources told the German news agency DPA that Martin was accused of giving information to 'hostile parties'. The British national was being held in Gaza's central prison, although it was not clear if he had yet been charged with any crime, DPA reported". This Ma'an report can be read in full here.
Then, there was a brief report from a Palestinian media source this morning saying that Martin has been accused of trying to locate IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit who has been held somewhere in Gaza since his capture in a cross-border raid in late June 2006, for which Israel has made numerous retailatory attacks, including destruction of the Gaza Power Plant a few days after Shalit's capture. After Israel's unprecedented three-week military operation against Gaza from 27 December 2008 to 18 January 2009, which was ended by two unilateral cease-fires (Israel's and Hamas'), the Israeli Government has declared on several occasions that it will not lift the controlled closure of all border crossings into the Gaza Strip until Shalit is safely returned home.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not been allowed to visit Shalit during his almost four-year captivity so far, but there were a one or two letters transferred in recent years between Shalit and his parents, and a more recent videotape showing Shalit alive and relatively at ease with his captors, exchanged through intermediaries who include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
It was noted in a comment on Facebook last night that Martin has, in the past, reported for the BBC and for The Times of London. The BBC has just reported that Martin has written for the two British news organizations.
A representative of the British Consulate has visited Martin in jail, and the British Consulate in Jerusalem has expressed concern about the situation.
The Foreign Press Association in Israel has just released a statement calling for Martin's release: "The Foreign Press Association is deeply concerned with the arrest of British filmmaker and journalist Paul Martin, in Gaza by Hamas authorities. We expect the Hamas as we do all parties, to respect the rights of every journalist on assignment to work without fear of being arrested. The Foreign Press Association hereby requests the Palestinian Authorities in Gaza to immediately release Paul Martin".
The AP report noted that "Hamas has prided itself in ending the lawlessness of vigilante gunmen, and has largely stayed clear of foreign journalists since seizing the territory in 2007. It wasn't immediately clear whether Mr. Martin's arrest signaled a change in policy. The Interior Ministry statement said foreigners are welcome in Gaza, but that 'anyone who tries to violate the security of Gaza will be held accountable'."
Ma'an News Agency reported this morning that the spokesman of what they editorially refer to as the "de facto Ministry of Interior" in Gaza, Ihab Al-Ghussein, "told Ma'an that an arrest warrant for Martin was issued following the confession of a defendant charged with collaborating with Israel. The defendant 'has confessed against the British journalist and said he [Martin] violated Palestinian law and the security in Gaza', Al-Ghussein said".
However, as Ma'an noted, Martin was detained as he arrived to testify at the trial of the man whose accusations were then used as the basis for Martin's arrest. Ma'an described the man as "a Palestinian fighter accused of collaborating with Israel, a journalist present at the courthouse in Gaza City told Ma'an".
Ma'an reported that " 'This person [the Palestinian] was accused by the government of being a collaborator with the Israeli side. Our colleague [Martin] came as a witness to testify in favor of this guy', the journalist said. Martin arrived in Gaza with evidence proving the accused man had fought against the Israeli military, the journalist added. 'Suddenly, the court announced that the reporter said something that is against the law, and it jailed him for 15 days for investigation', according to the journalist, who said Martin had interviewed the accused man during Israel's assault on Gaza [n.b. - the IDF's Operation Cast Lead] , which began in late December 2008".
Ma'an reported additionally that "Palestinian security sources told the German news agency DPA that Martin was accused of giving information to 'hostile parties'. The British national was being held in Gaza's central prison, although it was not clear if he had yet been charged with any crime, DPA reported". This Ma'an report can be read in full here.
Then, there was a brief report from a Palestinian media source this morning saying that Martin has been accused of trying to locate IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit who has been held somewhere in Gaza since his capture in a cross-border raid in late June 2006, for which Israel has made numerous retailatory attacks, including destruction of the Gaza Power Plant a few days after Shalit's capture. After Israel's unprecedented three-week military operation against Gaza from 27 December 2008 to 18 January 2009, which was ended by two unilateral cease-fires (Israel's and Hamas'), the Israeli Government has declared on several occasions that it will not lift the controlled closure of all border crossings into the Gaza Strip until Shalit is safely returned home.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not been allowed to visit Shalit during his almost four-year captivity so far, but there were a one or two letters transferred in recent years between Shalit and his parents, and a more recent videotape showing Shalit alive and relatively at ease with his captors, exchanged through intermediaries who include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
It was noted in a comment on Facebook last night that Martin has, in the past, reported for the BBC and for The Times of London. The BBC has just reported that Martin has written for the two British news organizations.
A representative of the British Consulate has visited Martin in jail, and the British Consulate in Jerusalem has expressed concern about the situation.
The Foreign Press Association in Israel has just released a statement calling for Martin's release: "The Foreign Press Association is deeply concerned with the arrest of British filmmaker and journalist Paul Martin, in Gaza by Hamas authorities. We expect the Hamas as we do all parties, to respect the rights of every journalist on assignment to work without fear of being arrested. The Foreign Press Association hereby requests the Palestinian Authorities in Gaza to immediately release Paul Martin".
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