Israel Extends Detention of Palestinian Journalist

ISRAEL- A Palestinian journalist from annexed east Jerusalem accused of incitement over her Facebook posts has extended her house arrest.

On Tuesday, her lawyer shared this update and said an Israeli court had extended her months-long house arrest.

Lama Ghosheh, a freelance reporter for various Palestinian media outlets, was detained in September and charged with “incitement to violence” and “identification with a terrorist group” based on evidence from her Facebook posts and messages.

Her lawyer said the court postponed the verdict until April 18, when she will remain under house arrest.

If convicted, the court is reportedly considering a penalty of community service rather than a prison term.

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Ghosheh told AFP that her Facebook posts reflected “the narrative of the Palestinian street and weren’t invented from my imagination.”

She arrived at the court with her two children, aged three and five, saying she wanted them to face the fear in their minds since her arrest.

“House arrest has transformed my home from a safe place and space into a space of authority and control,” she added.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s National Security Minister, ordered the closure of Voice of Palestine’s east Jerusalem office on Monday. The public broadcaster operates in the occupied West Bank. The closure was due to allegations of incitement and support for terrorism. Additionally, the broadcaster allegedly lacked a license to operate in Jerusalem.

The Committee to Protect Journalists in New York has called on Israeli authorities to retract the office shutdown order and stop press harassment.

Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since the 1967 Six-Day War. It prohibits Palestinian Authority-related political activities, as it considers the city’s eastern portion the capital of its future state.