Germany: Berlin Labor Court Orders DW To Reinstate Palestinian Journalist Farah Maraqa
Location: Germany, BerlinDate: September 7, 2022
A labor court in Berlin ruled in favor of Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Farah Maraqa, ordering German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) to reinstate the journalist and pay compensation for the amount of time she spent dismissed on unreasonable “anti-semitism” allegations. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) welcomes the verdict and stands in solidarity with Farah and her colleagues. We demand accountability from DW for its arbitrary dismissal of Arab journalists on the pretext of anti-semitism and call for fair journalistic practices.
Farah was dismissed by DW earlier this year in February, along with six other Arab journalists employed by the German broadcaster. The layoffs came after an independent external investigation into allegations of anti-semitism against the outlet’s Arabic news section, according to news reports. Upon reviewing the resultant investigative report, Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor found it to be “biased, flawed and dangerous” as well as laden with Israeli propaganda.
In March 2022, Farah also called on the United Nations’ Human Rights Council for an end to arbitrary discrimination against Arab journalists in German media. She drew attention to her dismissal and that of her colleagues on “false accusations of anti-semistism carried out by a public media smear campaign” aimed at discrediting Arab journalists. According to Farah, DW had issued a statement conceding that the expelled journalists had not committed any “violations” or “anti-semitic” acts.
“This is a disgrace in the face of human rights efforts at the heart of Europe happening right now, and I am respectfully asking for your attention and help in stopping this trend for the sake of free press and free speech in itself as much as the Palestinian and Arab voices discriminated, silenced, and erased,” stated Farah before the UNHRC, highlighting the apparent racial biases that led to her dismissal.
Months later, on September 5, 2022, a labor court in Berlin found that DW’s decision to fire Farah was unjustified and without any legal grounds. The court ordered DW to reinstate the journalist and ensure that she is paid her wages for the time she was dismissed. Farah took to Twitter to celebrate the win.
“A date for celebrations! The labor court gave me justice today: Deutsche Welle’s termination of my employment was legally unjustified. I won 100%. I am grateful for all your support,” she tweeted.
A date for celebrations!
— Farah Maraqa (@Farah_Maraqa) September 5, 2022
The labour court gave me justice today: #DeutscheWelle’s termination of my employment was legally unjustified. I won 100%.
I am grateful for all your support.#DW #reinstatement
The decision in Farah’s case comes after a similar ruling in July in favor of Palestinian journalist Maram Salem while a third case has reportedly been settled.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism celebrates Farah Maraqa’s win. This case is illustrative of a worrying trend in Germany of institutionalized silencing of Palestinian voices and narratives unfavorable to the Israeli state. Such attitudes undermine both freedom of expression and press freedom. We stress that it is incumbent upon DW to ensure immediate efforts to restore Farah’s reputation as a journalist and take active steps to ensure racism is not perpetuated by the broadcaster under the pretext of measures against anti-semitism. We stand in solidarity with Farah and her colleagues.
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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