MOSCOW, July 11 (RIA Novosti) – International non-profit organization Reporters Without Borders condemned Israel’s Army for destroying the office of Russian RT channel in Ramallah, the channel’s press service said Friday.
Early June 21, during the course of a special operation on the coast of Jordan, Israeli troops broke into the building of Palestinian company Palmedia in Ramallah, where, together with other media outlets, the RT rents an office for its news bureau. Representatives of the channel said that during the raid some equipment was damaged, the video archive and other materials were confiscated, and computers and hard drives belonging to the Russian channel were also collected by the Israelis.
The army confirmed that it targeted Palmedia, which they accused of organizing the broadcast of a Hamas television channel.
According to the statement issued by the Reporters Without Borders, “Israeli special services regularly rummage the offices of different media.” The organization condemned the violations of freedom of the press and urged Israeli troops to let Palestinian and other foreign journalists do their job, without fearing for the safety of their lives.
RT had already asked the Russian Foreign Ministry to assist in demanding an explanation from Tel Aviv for the rout in the channel’s office and recovery of the confiscated materials. The ministry called Israel’s actions unacceptable and has asked it to return RT’s property.
