CJF condemns PA closure of al-Jazeera of

The Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CJF) said in a statement of Thursday that the decision taken by the Ramallah government to close al-Jazeera office is hasty and rejected and pointed out that the decision restricts press freedom.

 

The Amman-based CJF called on the Ramallah government to reconsider its decision stressing its rejection of the decision in the first place.

 

“We find this decision strange, unexplainable and unjustifiable. We consider it to violate press freedom,” said Nidal Mansour, the executive director of the CJF.

 

He added that what al-Jazeera was fulfilling its duty to viewers when it covered the news of  the Qaddumi document and was professional in its coverage.

 

Mansour further stressed that the PA have the right to reply to Qaddumi”s allegations instead of closing down al-Jazeera offices.

 

He also said that when media outlets publish news about a document, no matter how serious it is, does not mean in anyway that the publisher takes the same views expressed in that document or believes that what has been said in that document is true, adding that it was the job of politicians, observers and the public to debate and accept or reject such a document.

 

Mansour finally said that the PA and Fatah should have questioned Qaddumi or replied to his accusations rather than flex their muscles at the media.