Israel: Israeli Court Convicts Palestinian Journalist Lama Ghosheh To A 3-Year Suspended Sentence

CFWIJ condemns unjust verdict, demands unconditional acquittal 

Location: Israel, Mamilla, Jerusalem
Date: July 11, 2023

Lama Gosheh at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.Credit: Emil Salman

Almost one year after Israeli forces arrested Palestinian journalist Lama Ghosheh at her home in occupied East Jerusalem, Jerusalem’s Magistrate Court finds the journalist guilty of inciting violence on social media. The Coalition For Women In Journalism has closely been monitoring press freedom violations in the region and finds it profoundly concerning how Palestinian women journalists, who bravely utilize social media to share their findings, continuously face threats of legal prosecution and suppression. We condemn the outcome of Ghosheh's unjust trial and call for an urgent and unbiased reassessment of the evidence and legal proceedings to ensure a just resolution.

Jerusalem’s Magistrate Court has convicted Lama Ghosheh, a prominent journalist from annexed East Jerusalem, to a community service requirement, a three-year suspended sentence, and imposed a fine of 4,500 shekels ($1,220). The three-year suspended sentence means that Ghosheh, who has been under house arrest since September 13th, 2022, could face arrest again if she commits any violations during that period.

Mohammed Mahmoud, Ghosheh's legal representative, expressed their intention to appeal the verdict.

The journalist was arrested on September 4th last year at her residence in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah concerning her social media posts. Israeli authorities conducted a raid at her home, seizing her electronic devices. The arrest took place in the presence of her two children, aged 3 and 5.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Ghosheh's detention was extended four times, resulting in two weeks of incarceration. The Israeli prosecution requested the extensions to allow more time to compile a list of charges against Ghosheh, who the Israeli Public Prosecution indicted on 11 charges, including allegations of incitement.

During her time in Israeli jails, Lama Ghosheh allegedly faced harassment and intimidation tactics, including random "naked inspections," as per her lawyer, Nasser Odeh. She also endured three lengthy interrogation sessions, each lasting around ten hours, at the Maskobiyah Interrogation Center in Jerusalem. 

Ghosheh was released from custody on September 13, 2022, on the condition of house arrest and a bail amount of $15,000. The conditions of her release included restrictions on accessing the internet and using computers or phones. 

The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate strongly condemned the verdict, denouncing it as unjust. Furthermore, the syndicate expressed its concerns regarding the verdict, stating that it exacerbates the violations committed by the occupation authorities against journalists’ work and their freedom of opinion and expression.

CFWIJ documented numerous violations by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinian journalists in 2022 and the first half of 2023, including the assassination of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a correspondent for Al Jazeera who was targeted by gunfire from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) while reporting in the West Bank. These events highlight the ongoing tensions between Palestine and Israel, with the Israeli authorities attempting to suppress and silence the Palestinian press in particular.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses solidarity with Lama Ghosheh and other journalists covering the Palestine-Israel conflict. We strongly denounce Ghosheh's conviction and urge the international community to address Palestinian journalists' challenges.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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