Unic Press UK: Amnesty International, the renowned non-governmental organization that promotes justice and defends human rights in the whole wide world, has flayed the plans by several state actors to force Al Jazeera to shut down.
In a press release Monday, Amnesty International’s Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director, Magdalena Mughrabi, denounced the Israeli government decision to close Al Jazeera’s office in Jerusalem and take the channel off air, saying:
“This is a brazen attack on media freedom in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The move sends a chilling message that the Israeli authorities will not tolerate critical coverage.
“By acting to suppress Al Jazeera, the Israeli government joins a host of other countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, which have demanded the channel’s closure in the wake of the dispute between Gulf countries and Qatar.
“All journalists should be free to carry out their work without facing harassment or intimidation. Instead of initiating a repressive clampdown on freedom of expression the Israeli authorities must halt any attempt to silence critical media.”
Israeli officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, accused Al Jazeera – a satellite network TV channel based in Doha (Qatar) and funded by the Qatari government – of inciting violence and bias against the Jewish state, calling that it be shut down.
