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Media Rights Group Condemns Israel for Arrest of Palestinian Writer

by VOA News

   A media rights group is expressing concern after Israeli security
   forces arrested a prominent Palestinian writer in the West Bank.

   The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Friday that Israel
   should immediately explain why they have Lama Khater in custody or let
   her go.

   Israeli officials arrested Khater, 32, Tuesday for alleged involvement
   in Hamas terror activities.

   CPJ said Khater, a prominent blogger, is also a contributing opinion
   writer to several media outlets, including Qatar-based Al-Jazeera, the
   Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network and the Arab online women's
   publication Meem Magazine.

   CPJ said Israeli authorities raided Khater's house in the southern West
   Bank city of Hebron on Tuesday and arrested her without informing her
   of any charges against her.

   "We are concerned about the arrest of Lama Khater given Israel's
   frequent use of legal measures, including administrative detention, to
   keep journalists in jail without bringing any charges against them,"
   said CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, Sherif
   Mansour.

   Khater, who has nearly 90,000 followers on Twitter, recently wrote
   tweets criticizing Israel for denying Muslims entry to the Temple Mount
   complex in Jerusalem.