MIDDLE EAST: Israeli court puts staff of Jerusalem's South African-backed "peace radio" under house arrest for allegedly running an illegal operation

Record ID: 455165

  • Title: MIDDLE EAST: Israeli court puts staff of Jerusalem's South African-backed "peace radio" under house arrest for allegedly running an illegal operation
  • Date: 10th April 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEWS EDITOR OF RAMFM XOLANI GWALA SAYING: "Of course as a station we have insisted and we continue to that there is nothing illegal that we have done this far. And of course, as journalist I just find it totally ridiculous, I mean having read some of the conditions, it as if people committed crimes like a murder or anything like that, I just find it totally ridiculous that media personal in this country are treated this way." MORE OF RAMFM WORKERS IN COURT
  • Embargoed: 25th April 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Communications
  • Reuters ID: LVA31FDSZATAZC2GBG555P2TGYS5
  • Story Text: An Israeli court placed under house arrest on Tuesday (April 8) seven employees of an English-language radio station which was set up to foster dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.
    The Ministry of Communications shut the South African-backed RAM FM's Jerusalem studio on Monday, saying it did not have a license to broadcast. RAM FM has denied it was breaking the law.
    Seven employees including journalists and technicians were detained for about 24 hours before the Jerusalem magistrate court released them on bail but handed down a week's house arrest while police continue to investigate.
    The Station's lawyer Asher Rabinowitz said the workers were accused of establishing and operating a broadcast station without a permit, allegations the station has denied in court.
    "It was decided that suspects will be in house arrest for seven days, they will post personal bails for 10,000 Shekels (ILS), one of them is 25,000 Shekels because he's a non Israeli resident, they are not to communicate with each other and they may meet their attorneys during that week for consultations," he added.
    "Of course as a station we have insisted and we continue to that there is nothing illegal that we have done this far. And of course, as journalist I just find it totally ridiculous, I mean having read some of the conditions, it as if people committed crimes like a murder or anything like that, I just find it totally ridiculous that media personal in this country are treated this way," said Xolani Gwala, News Editor for the station after the court hearing.
    Set up a year ago with backing from a South African station that aimed to foster racial reconciliation after apartheid, RAM FM says it hopes its mix of phone-ins, music and news can help build links over the airwaves between Israelis and Palestinians.
    The Jerusalem Foreign Press Association called the detention of the staff "absurd". A senior government official said the RAM FM arrests were not politically motivated and related purely to the license issue.
    The station continued to broadcast out of its main studio in the Palestinian West Bank city of Ramallah.
    Israel has been trying to clean up broadcasting frequencies. Pirate stations have been accused of interfering with air traffic control radios at the country's main airport.
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