Location: Palestine
Date: May 4, 2021

Riwa Murshid works for a famous Arabic news network, Raseef22. The journalist was on assignment to shoot at the coastal enclave’s border, adjacent to Israel, with other colleagues. The media crew was not new to the location and had permission to shoot in that area. But as the journalist was wrapping up the shoot, she and her colleagues were approached by two members of a militant-separatist organization.

The armed members harassed and threatened Riwa for not covering her head. When the journalist snapped back, the assailant attacked her with a tree branch, leaving visible and painful wounds on her body. CFWIJ is horrified by the nature of the attack against Riwa. The militant-separatist organization has condemned the actions of their officer and issued an apology. CFWIJ demands that Palestinian security forces allow journalists to report freely rather than enforcing their fundamentalist opinions on them.

The journalist shared that she presented her press card to the security force member and told the intruders she had permission to film in that area. However, the assailant continued hurling insults at her and told her not to say a word as she is an apostate. When Riwa reacted back and told him to be polite, the attacker grabbed tree branch and hit her. The violent attack caused visible injuries to the journalist. The militant separatist organization has reportedly apologized to the journalist after the attack was reported. They shared that an investigation will be conducted into the conduct of their accused member.

The journalist shared in her Facebook post, “when I was introducing them myself as a journalist, the conversation turned towards my dressing and not wearing a hijab. The attacker kept hurling slurs at me, that I was an apostate and had no right to speak, so I should keep my mouth shut”.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled by the use of force against Riwa Murshid. We demand that the assailant involved in harassing and assaulting the woman journalist should be held accountable. The Independent Gaza-based Palestinian Human Rights Center has also described the incident as an attack against the journalist. The center accused the separatist organization of imposing a forced ideology in the region. CFWIJ demands Palestinian authorities to provide security to women journalists reporting from conflict zones and end the intimidation against them for doing their job.

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

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