Broadcaster's arrest

WEST BANK - Palestinian police in Ramallah have detained a journalist, filmmaker and broadcaster, Daoud Kuttab, who manages the…

WEST BANK - Palestinian police in Ramallah have detained a journalist, filmmaker and broadcaster, Daoud Kuttab, who manages the EU and US-funded al-Quds Educational Television which, over the past few months, attempted to broadcast live the weekly sessions of the Palestinian Legislative Council, writes Michael Jansen.

Because councillors have been sharply critical of the Palestinian Authority President, Mr Yasser Arafat, and his ministers, these broadcasts have been jammed, apparently by the official Palestine broadcasting authority. While individual councillors have condemned the jamming, the council as a body has neither criticised this form of censorship nor the arrest of Mr Kuttab.