H. E. Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister of Israel
Prime Minister’s Office
Jerusalem
Israel

Vienna, 19 July 1996

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), is deeply concerned about the continued detention in Israel of the Lebanese journalist Ali Dia.

Dia, a correspondent for the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), as well as for the Beirut daily As-Safir and the Lebanese Future TV, was seized in Israeli-occupied southern Lebanon on 13 June 1996 and taken to Israel for interrogation. On 18 June an Israeli army spokesman said that Dia, the first Lebanese journalist to have been taken to Israel for detention, was suspected of collaborating with Hezbollah guerrilla forces.

We understand that Dia, who is being held in Kishon prison in Haifa, was to be released on 17 July. However, on 16 July he appeared in an Israeli court in the absence of his lawyer and his detention was extended until 22 July. According to his lawyer “the police and information ministry deliberately wanted to avoid any defence of the case.”

IPI, the global network of editors and media executives from newspapers, magazines, broadcasting organisations and news agencies in 85 countries, strongly condemns the seizure in Lebanon of Dia, a civilian non-combatant, and his forced detention in Israel. We therefore reiterate our appeal of 21 June 1996 and urge Your Excellency to ensure that Dia is released immediately and unconditionally.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director