1. 7 April: Palestinian police attacked the home of Sheikh Abdullah al-Shami (Islamic Jihad) in Al-Shajai’yah neighborhood in Gaza, and arrested him. He was interrogated on the speech he delivered about Al-Sharif being murdered by his friends, and about torture in Palestinian prisons. He was released on 12 April.

1. 10 April: at two in the afternoon, the Criminal Department summoned Sheikh Khaled Sleiman Fayez (31), by an order from the head of police, brigadier Gazi al-Jabali. Fayez is an Imam at al-Qadi mosque in Jenin. He was summoned after having delivered the Friday prayers on moral issues, hygiene, and disagreements in values and understandings among the Palestinian people that might one-day lead to an internal dispute. The Sheikh talked about national solidarity. He was interrogated for half an hour. The interrogator accused him of criticizing the PNA series of arrests that were conducted at the time, and comparing the situation in Palestine with that of Algeria. Fayez denied all these charges. He remained in custody until 11:30 at night, with no food or drink. He was released by an order from Jabali, after signing a pledge not to “violate the rules and regulations followed in the PNA areas.” Fayez was previously arrested by the PNA from 6 March 1996 until 8 July 1996, following the military operations committed by the followers of Izz Eddine al-Qissam. Before he was released, he was forced to sign a pledge of the same sort.

Note: refer to the PFLP march in Political Freedom.

1. The Criminal department summoned Dr. Yunis al-Astal on the background of a speech he delivered on 24 April at the Central mosque in Khan Yunis. The speech was about the death of Mohyi Eddin al-Sharif. Al-Astal turned himself in on 26 April, and was released on 30 April. On 29 October, he was arrested again among a series of arrests that took place against Hamas militants following the bombing near Nitzarim settlement. Al-Astal was interrogated on the speeches he delivers during Friday prayers, and about the articles he writes in al-Rissalah weekly newspaper. After he was released, he was banned from delivering the Friday prayers.

1. 18 August: Sheikh Abdullah al-Shami was arrested by the criminal department after releasing five articles in al-Istiqlal newspaper, on the newly formed cabinet of ministers. He was released after 41 days of solitary confinement. He was not presented before a court of law. Before he was released, he was asked to sign a pledge never to offend the PNA.

1. 25 August: PSS members attacked PLC members Jamal al-Shati, Moussa al-Za’abut, Abed Rabbo Abu Awn, and Sleiman al-Rumi, and beat them severely. That took place during a demonstration by human rights organizations before the house of martyr Imad Awadallah. Following the fleeing of Awadallah from jail on 15 August, the Palestinian police placed the house under siege, and its inhabitants were not even allowed to leave it.
2. 26 August: PSS attacked PLC member Hatem Abdul Qader before the Awadallah home during a demonstration that took place the next day.
3. 20 September: Presidential Security members (Force 17) arrested Muhammad Mahmoud Muqbel (52, married and father to four children, from Ramallah, director of the Ministry of Sports and Youth) on a speech he delivered during a huge march protesting the Israeli refusal to turn in the bodies of Adel and Imad Awadallah. In his speech, Muqbel concentrated on national solidarity that brought all the people into the march. He also accused Israel of murdering the two Awadallah brothers. Muqbel was released after PLC member Hatem Abdul Qader demonstrated outside the prison in Ramallah where Muqbel was arrested. He asked for his immediate release, and refused to leave until Muqbel was released. Muqbel was released later on that day.
4. 25 October: At 9 in the evening, three GI members arrested Sheikh Hamed al-Bitawi (54, judge at the court of Appeals) from his house in Nablus. The arrest took place one hour after a statement he had made on TV to al-Jazirah channel, regarding Wye. It is important to mention that Hamed is a PNA employee, and he is on good terms with the heads of the PNA, including the President. It seems that he was arrested for security reasons. He was released from Jneid prison two months later, on the night of 20 December 1998, without being charged or tried. Bitawi has not received a salary since he was arrested.
5. 31 October: one employee at the President’s office sent a letter to the head of police regarding a speech delivered by PLC member Sheikh Wajih Yaghi at al-Mustafa mosque in Gaza. In the speech, Yaghi criticized the series of political arrests that were taking place, he criticized Wye Plantation, and the arrest of Sheikh al-Bitawi, and the house arrest placed on Sheikh Ahmad Yassin. Two copies of the letter were sent to the security committee, the Ministry of Interior, and the Public Monitoring Committee in the PLC.

1. PSS members beat up Al-Hayat al-Jadidah newspaper cameraman Nasser Nasser, who was taken to hospital for treatment. His camera was confiscated (the one he was filming with), and another camera which belonged to journalist Majed al-Aruri, was destroyed. The police refused to administer the complaint that Nasser filed against the PSS, and told him that it can only be filed if it is against an anonymous person.
2. 16 February: the Ministry of Information released a decision regarding all private TV and radio stations in PNA areas “not to cover any comments or make any statements of any kind, relating to the developments of the Iraqi crisis, and cover the news without making any comments.”
3. 16 and 17 February: the Ministry of Information closed down eight local TV stations, for violating orders released by the Ministry. Head of police Brigadier Gazi al-Jabali released an order to the police in the districts to have TV stations owners write pledges to “preserve the high national interest, and not to broadcast any news relating to the marches and demonstrations, or any news affecting stability, or pictures demonstrating flag burning.” All stations not willing to abide by this order were to be closed down. The Israeli Military general in the West Bank, Brigadier Ishaq Eitan, had asked al-Haj Ismai’il Jaber, head of the National Forces in the West Bank, during their meeting in the DCO in Bethlehem, to release that order. Al-Haj Ismai’il expressed his understanding of the problem, and wanting to solve it. (al-Quds newspaper: 18 February 1998 - Page: 4)
4. 20 February: National Security members arrested Nasser Ishtiyeh and his brother Ja’afar (both reporters for foreign press agencies) because they filmed a march in Balata refugee camp in support of Iraq. During the march, the American and Israeli flags were burned. The films belonging to the two brothers were confiscated, and they were warned not to film American and Israeli flag burnings. They were released two hours later, after their agency made the necessary contacts.
5. 9 April: the Palestinian Criminal Police arrested five journalists from Gaza working for Reuters: Taher Shreiteh, Nidal al-Maghribi, Ahmad Jadallah, Shams Shana’a, and Sudah Abu Yousef. When the journalists arrived at the police station in Gaza, they were asked to sign an undertaking to discontinue their work and never to “provoke riots or raise fanaticism,” but they refused. On 10 April 1998 Zakaria al-Talmas, head of the journalists union in Gaza interfered. At that time, it was agreed that the journalists should sign a pledge to commit to accuracy in reporting, not to broadcast news before confirming that it does not violate the Palestinian Press Law, and to report to the nearest criminal department whenever they are called upon. On the same day, a police force temporarily closed the Reuters office in Gaza for three months, because Reuters was suspected of distributing a recording of an interview with Adel Awadallah, who was accused by the PNA of participating in the murder of Mohyi Eddine al-Sharif. Reuters office was reopened on 15 April.
6. 5 May: two members from the GI arrested Reuters journalist Abbas al-Momani from the press office in Ramallah. The two armed men asked al-Momani to accompany them without having an official warrant to arrest him. On 14 May 1998, al-Momani was released, after taking an oath not to give any information on his arrest. Al-Momani escaped from prison on 10 May because he was severely tortured. He was rearrested the same day.
7. 14 May: National Security members attacked journalist Imad al-Ifranji working for al-Quds newspaper. They beat him up severely after covering disputes between Palestinian youths and the Israelis near the settlement of Gush Quteif in Gaza Strip.
8. 29 August: a number of policemen attacked journalist Munir Abu Riziq (editor of Al-Hayat al-Jadidah), and beat him up severely, using the bottom of their rifles, their hands, and their feet. The police also destroyed his tape recorder and his eyeglasses. All this took place when Abu Riziq arrived at the Military Court at Arafat Police City in Gaza, to cover the events of the two Khaldi brothers trial (Muhammad and Majdi). Furthermore, two field workers, one from the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens Rights, Omar Muhammad Yousef, and the other from Gaza Law Center Adnan Abu Amer, were prevented from entering the courtroom.
9. 13 September: Journalist Saber Nur Eddine working for the AFP in Gaza, was held for 10 hours by the police. The previous day, Nur Eddine was forbidden from taking pictures of a march conducted by Hamas. The police confiscated his press card and ID, but he refused to give them his camera and the film.
10. 23 October: police forces blocked all the roads leading to the home of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas, during the signing of the Wye Plantation Agreement. Eleven journalists working for foreign press agencies, were arrested while they were at Sheikh Yassin’s home conducting an interview with him. The police confiscated all cameras and films from the journalists. Before they were released, the journalists were told that they had to get a prior approval from the Criminal Department, should they wish to conduct future interviews of the sort.
11. 18 November: the Political Security department summoned Dr. Gazi Hamad, head of Al-Rissalah newspaper for al-Khalas group. He was interrogated on the “hot” articles in the newspaper. The department indirectly threatened him to take care and only publish “cool” issues.
12. 18 December: eight Palestinian journalists were arrested in Gaza by the Palestinian police, after covering the march organized by the PFLP. Israeli and American flags were burned during the march, in protest against the British-American aggression on the Iraqi people. The PNA closed down local TV and radio stations, claiming that these stations broadcast material that might corrupt public discipline, and provoke against the PNA. On the same day, three press offices for AP and Reuters, as well as a movie production office, were closed down. The journalists who were arrested said that they were held for many hours, their video-tapes were confiscated, and two of them were beaten by the police. The next day at night, the PNA announced the reopening of these offices.

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