Paris: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the National Journalists' Union (SNJ) announced on Tuesday that they filed a complaint over restrictions on press freedom and alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories.
According to Anadolu Agency, the IFJ and SNJ stated that the complaint was filed with Paris's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor on November 26 against unknown parties, citing numerous testimonies from French journalists collected anonymously. The organizations emphasized the importance of restoring the freedom to inform and be informed in Gaza and the West Bank, urging action from the French justice system.
The organizations highlighted the media lockdown of Gaza, describing it as an "unprecedented" blackout in the conflict, alongside the "ruthless repression" of Palestinian journalists. They reported 225 killings verified by the IFJ, which remain central to the complaint.
The complaint includes descriptions from French journalists about the challenges they face daily, such as denial of access, threats, equipment confiscation, physical assaults, arbitrary detentions, and sometimes even being hunted. The organizations clarified that the complaint does not target any specific individual, but rather documents obstacles carried out by military and police units, customs and administrative services, and private individuals, including settlers in the occupied territories.
Vanessa Ripoche and Julien Fleury, general secretaries of the SNJ, highlighted the real risk of harm journalists face, stating, "The risk of being killed is real, sometimes tangible, when you find yourself pursued by thirty armed settlers. These violations of journalists' fundamental rights cannot go unpunished."
The statement further stressed that the reported violations occur in occupied territories, which "prevents Israel from invoking state immunity" and "allows French courts to take action," since the violations target French nationals and impede their fundamental freedoms.
Ines Davau and Louise El Yafi, lawyers for the IFJ and SNJ, noted the significance of this legal action. "This is the first time that a legal action of this nature-based both on systematic obstruction of journalists' work and on war crimes targeting media professionals-has been brought before a national court to protect French reporters in a conflict zone," they said.