Palestine Palestinian Journalist Jailed for Abbas Photo

[Agnosticsherbet]

Palestinian Journalist Jailed for Abbas Photo
(RAMALLAH, West Bank) — A West Bank appeals court on Thursday upheld a one-year prison term for a Palestinian journalist who had a photo on his Facebook page that authorities claimed portrayed President Mahmoud Abbas as a traitor, rights activists said.

It was the second such case in two months, and Abbas’ Palestinian Authority is facing mounting criticism for stifling dissent. In particular, Abbas’ security forces have targeted supporters of the Islamic militant Hamas, which seized the Gaza Strip from him in 2007.

The defendant in Thursday’s case was Mamdouh Hamamreh, a reporter for the Hamas-linked Al-Quds TV.

It seems freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the West Bank are non-existant

[jessie04]

1. One year?

Ridiculous.

[azurnoir]

2. President pardons journalist jailed over insult (same person, your snip doesn't mention a name)

President Mahmoud Abbas has pardoned a journalist whose year-long sentence for insulting him on Facebook was upheld earlier Thursday.

Abbas' office said in a statement that the president had pardoned Mamdouh Hamamreh, a correspondent for al-Quds satellite channel, hours after a Bethlehem court rejected the reporter's appeal against the jail term.

Hamamreh was charged over a photo posted to Facebook juxtaposing Abbas beside a similar-looking man who plays the part of a collaborator with French colonial forces in an old Syrian television drama.

"They resemble each other in everything," a caption read.

Journalists and media watchdogs, saying Hamamreh was only "tagged" in the photo and did not create it, criticized the ruling and curbs on media freedom by the Palestinian Authority.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=579952

di you not know this you posted on a thread where this was mentioned

[delrem]

3. Since truth is that Abbas is a collaborator, a tool, I suppose truth is banned.

If Abbas were put in a boxing ring with Netanyahu he'd run for his mommy. But that's not in the cards, not what Abbas signed up for. What he signed up for is what he'll get, another photo-op with N, and another with O, and posing with B he'll get another with N shaking hands and looking statesmanlike because of the company he keeps, perhaps with a very pleased looking Hillary looking on. Abbas will never be called on to get in the ring. He's not in that league and that isn't his purpose in life. He's not even in the junior leagues with "King Abdullah II of Jordan", who is another total tool.

"King" Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is a different class. This guy bargains for a good deal for his extended family in exchange for protection. It may cost his country scores of billions a year for the extended family of this despot to be in the good graces of the world's number one protection racket, but what the hell... there're scores of billions left for his dynasty to convert into offshore accounts. I laugh when I see the squeezed lemon features of the Queen of England when she's forced into a photo-op recognizing King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia as equal in power and moral right. I know I shouldn't laugh, it's the blackest humor, but... It's a funny kind of karma. As in "everything would be good, everything would be totally laundered by time, except...." It's very important that the House of Thani of Qatar and the House of Khalifa of Bahrain be recognized as legitimate good guys, along with Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, because they all pay their dues. And all they have to do as extra for the dues is front for the great protector, when the great protector "leads from behind" in overthrowing this regime or that. ... easy for mega-billionaire family dynasties to do.