World

IPI urges Israel to free Anadolu Agency photojournalist

Mustafa Kharouf was detained and held in prison in advance of his deportation to Jordan

Abdul Raouf Arnaout  | 23.07.2019 - Update : 24.07.2019
IPI urges Israel to free Anadolu Agency photojournalist


JERUSALEM 

A press freedom group on Tuesday called on Israel to release Anadolu Agency photojournalist Mustafa Kharouf, who has been held in prison in advance of deportation.

In a statement, the International Press Institute (IPI) called on the Israeli government to “refrain from further attempts to deport [Kharouf[ to Jordan or any other country”.

Kharouf, 32, was detained by Israeli police in East Jerusalem in January and held in prison in advance of his deportation to Jordan.

Israeli authorities attempted to deport the photojournalist to Jordan on Sunday and Monday but failed due to refusal of the Jordanian government, according to Kharouf’s lawyer.

Israeli authorities say that Kharouf, who has lived in Jerusalem with his family since he was 12, was born in Algeria.

“We are concerned that Kharouf’s arrest on January 22 and the subsequent decision to deport him are based on his work as a journalist reporting on issues that are inconvenient to the Israeli government,” IPI Director of Advocacy Ravi R. Prasad said.

“The government has not provided any reason for his arrest and there are no criminal cases pending against him,” he said.

For the last 20 years, the Israeli authorities have consistently refused to grant Kharouf a long-term residency permit, forcing him to obtain fresh tourist visas each year.

While Kharouf holds a Jordanian passport that allows him to travel to neighboring Arab states, it does not give him citizenship or residency rights in Jordan.

Kharouf has worked for Anadolu Agency as a photojournalist since August of last year.

Israel captured the West Bank, which international law still regards as an “occupied territory”, during the 1967 Middle East war.

IPI is a global organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices.

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