H. E. President Yasser Arafat
Palestinian Authority
Al-Muntada
Gaza

Viena, 22 May 1997

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI) strongly condemns the detention of Palestinian journalist and TV broadcaster Daoud Kuttab.

Mr. Kuttab, who has a private contract to broadcast uncut floor debates from the elected Palestinian legislature, was summoned to police headquarters in Ramallah from his home in East Jerusalem on 20 May 1997, and is being held there without charge by the Palestinian Authority (PA). We understand that he has been fighting efforts by the Palestinian authorities to jam his live broadcasts of Palestinian Legislative Council sessions, which are frequently critical of the PA.

IPI believes that the arrest of Mr. Kuttab, who has frequently challenged the censorship practices of both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities, stems from discontent within the PA with Mr. Kuttab’s broadcasts, and is a further example of the continuing harassment of the independent Palestinian media by Your Excellency’s administration.

IPI, the global network of editors and media executives from newspapers, magazines, broadcasting organisations and news agencies in 98 countries, strongly urges Your Excellency to ensure that Daoud Kutab is released immediately and unconditionally and that members of the independent Palestinian media are allowed to carry out their profession without harassment.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director