Al Jazeera demands Israel release detained journalist

17 July 2006

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Arabic TV broadcaster Al Jazeera on Monday demanded that Israeli authorities release its Jerusalem bureau chief who was arrested on Sunday.

The broadcaster, based in Doha, Qatar, said in a prepared release that Israeli authorities began obstructing its news operations in northern Israel and arrested its correspondent, Ilyas Karram, just after the first wave of Hezbollah rockets hit Haifa.

Israelis also arrested Al Jazeera’s Jerusalem bureau chief Walid Al Omary, preventing reporters from carrying out their work.

Al Jazeera said Israeli officials have given no explanation for the detentions, and said that while Karram has been released, al-Omary remains in custody.

“Al Jazeera hereby expresses its utmost disapproval and strong denunciation of the Israeli authorities obstruction of its coverage of the conflict and reiterates its adherence to internationally recognized professional journalistic standards,” the release said.