Palestinians, Israelis cited as 'predators of press freedom'

May 2, 2008, 12:24 GMT

Paris - The France-based media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Friday issued an updated list of what it called 'predators of press freedom' that included for the first time Palestinians and Israelis.

'The armed wing of Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority's security forces in the West Bank were guilty of serious press freedom violations. Each faction systematically hounded journalists suspected of siding with the other camp,' the group said in a press statement.

In addition, the group said, 'The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) were added to the list after they began again to target journalists covering their incursions into the Palestinian Territories.

'A Palestinian cameraman working for Reuters was killed in April by a shell fired from an Israeli tank. In July 2007, a cameraman lost the use of both legs after being fired on by an Israeli soldier as he lay on the ground.'

The Palestinians and the IDF were among 10 new additions to the Reporters Without Borders list, which cited 39 press freedom predators.

Other newcomers included Turkmenistan President Gurbangouly Berdymukhammedov, several groups and individuals in Somalia, Sri Lankan Defence Minister Gotabhaya Rajapakse as well as Velupillai Prabhakaran, the head of the main Sri Lankan rebel group, the Tamil Tigers.

Reporters Without Borders said it had removed five individuals from the list, including former Cuban 'lider maximo' Fidel Castro, who has retired, and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who 'lost February's parliamentary elections and, in the process, his ability to harm press freedom.'

The list was made public one day ahead of World Press Fredom Day, which is commemorated on May 3. A full list of the predators is available at www.rsf.org.