Palestine: Lama Ghosheh, Palestinian Journalist detained by Israeli Court over social media posts, charged with incitement to violence

Location: Palestine  
Date: September 5, 2022

Palestinian journalist and activist Lama Ghosheh, detained in Israeli jail facing charges of "incitement" on social media, being accused of identification with a terrorist organization because of facebook posts. On September 13th, Ghosheh was released on house arrest on the condition of not writing on social media. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) denounces the charges and the subsequent criteria for her release.

Lama Ghosheh, journalist and activist was arrested on September 4 at her home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, due to her social media posts. The Israeli authorities raided her home, confiscated her electronic devices, and proceeded to arrest her in front of her two children- aged 3 and 5.

The Israeli courts accused her of identification with a terrorist organization and incitment to violence because of posts shared on Facebook. The indictment claims that in some of her posts, [11 to be exact], Lama Ghosheh praised the activities of Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Gaza, after they were killed by the Israeli army.  The Israeli court in Jerusalem extended her detention four times, totaling 2 weeks of incarceration. These extended detentions were by request of the Israeli prosecution so that they may have more time to present a list of charges against Ghosheh.

During her detainment in Israeli jails, Lama faced harassment and intimidation tactics, being subjected to random “naked inspections”. According to her lawyer, Nasser Odeh, Lama further experienced three interrogation sessions of around ten hours each at the Maskobiyah Interrogation Center in Jerusalem. On September 13th, she was released on the condition of house arrest and 15,000$ bail, awaiting trial next Sunday. Conditions following included that she not access the internet or make use of a computer or phone.  Her lawyer stresses that it is still a long process to undergo for her sentencing. 

Her husband, Yassin Sbeih, commented  that “it seems that Lama will be facing a trial over a concrete accusation rather than an administrative detention without charges”. He elaborated that  "Despite this, the "incitement" charge is being used by the occupation authorities, just like the administrative detention, as an excuse to arrest anyone for their speech, especially journalists”. 

Lama had been  familiar with the risks of the industry, having been previously pressured by the Israeli Authorities and called for interrogation regarding her journalistic work earlier in the year. She is best known for hosting an online program featuring the families of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

According to the Palestine Journalists Union, Israeli forces and settlers committed 479 violations against Palestinian journalists in the first half of 2022, the most atrocious of which was the assassination journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, Al Jazeera correspondent.  We documented this horrific killing that occurred when veteran journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh was targeted by IDF gunfire while reporting in West Bank. Currently 15 Palestinian journalists, 16 including Lama Ghosheh, are in Israeli jails. Palestine continues to have friction with Israel as the state continues its attempts to silence and subdue Freedom of the Press. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with Lama Ghosheh and other journalists reporting amidst the Palestine-Israel conflict. We condemn Lama’s imprisonment and subsequent sentencing. We call on the international community to respond to the plight of journalists caught in the Palestine-Israeli conflict. The CFWIJ has closely monitored the region in recent years and finds it a matter of grave concern that women journalists daring to spread awareness and information on social media remain in danger of legal persecution and silencing.

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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