Journalist sentenced to a year imprisonment for “insulting” Abbas

PA court in Bethlehem sentenced on Thursday al-Quds satellite channel’s reporter Mamdouh Hamamreh, 28, for a year on charges of insulting Mahmoud Abbas.

Mamdouh’s father confirmed that his son was sentenced for a whole year, expressing his shock over “the court’s unfair decision”, stressing that his son is practicing his work as a journalist professionally.

Hamamra added that his son Mamdouh did not commit any offense, where he was arrested by the PA Intelligence in Bethlehem for 53 days for allegedly insulting President Mahmoud Abbas on the former’s Facebook page.

The father called on the human rights and press institutions to intervene to release his son and to stop implementing the court’s decision.

For her part, MADA’s lawyer Sana Arinke expressed her concern following the court’s decision, stressing that it is a political decision par excellence.