Hamas: British journalist ordered held for 15 days

GAZA City, Gaza Strip — Hamas officials said Monday that a British freelance journalist detained in Gaza will be held for 15 days, an unprecedented step against a foreigner since the Islamic militants seized Gaza in 2007.

Documentary filmmaker Paul Martin was detained Sunday at a Gaza military tribunal where he was to testify on behalf of a Gaza man accused of collaborating with Israel, said Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Ehab Ghussein. He had just begun to speak when the prosecutor ordered police to arrest him, saying the Briton was wanted in the case, according to Ehab Jaber, the attorney for the Gaza man accused of collaborating.

"The policeman put the handcuffs on him, and took him out of the court to prison. They were rough with him," said Jaber, who witnessed the scene.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jSihOOUUsvmMlI1Rz3JgqmTHDNsgD9DSJO1O0

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All those deleted posts.

Clearly, no government should be detaining other countries' journalists.

http://www.ifj.org/en/articles/journalists-groups-demand-hamas-free-detained-british-journalist

Being a reporter in the Middle East is a tough job.

British journalist Paul Martin held in Gaza

A British journalist has been arrested in Gaza by Hamas security forces, British and Hamas officials say.

The man was identified as Paul Martin. The arrest was confirmed by the Foreign Office, which also said it was providing consular assistance.

A Hamas spokesman said Mr Martin was arrested for violating security but further details were not given.

Reports say he was taken into custody for a fortnight while attending a court hearing.

Mr Martin has written for the BBC and the Times.

Hamas interior ministry spokesman Ehab Ghussein said: "We have confessions that the British journalist committed offences against Palestinian law, and that harms the security of the country."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8515546.stm

Looks like Hamas has learned a trick or two from the Iranian regime.

A Hamas official says a Gaza prosecutor wants to extend the detention of a British journalist who has already been held for two weeks.

Authorities in Gaza arrested British filmmaker Paul Martin almost two weeks ago as he arrived to testify at the trial of a militant accused of giving information to "hostile parties," Palestinian security officials said.

Martin's initial detention order was for 15 days. Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Ehab Ghussein said Sunday that a Gaza prosecutor wants to ask a court to extend Martin's detention beyond Monday's deadline, but did not say by how much.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1152829.html

Chicago – Ma’an/Agencies – A Gaza military prosecutor wants to extend the detention of a British journalist, claiming he poses a security threat, a local government official told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Freelance journalist Paul Martin has been held in Gaza since 14 February, the first foreign national to be arrested since Hamas took full control of the territory in 2007.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=264897