On May 19, 2024, Israeli forces arrested Palestinian journalist Mahmoud Adel Ma’atan Barakat, a freelance producer and editor, from his home in the village of Burqa near Ramallah.
Barakat was first held at the Binyamin Police Station, where he told CPJ he was beaten, assaulted, and subjected to a full strip search before being transferred to Ofer Prison. There, he endured more severe physical abuse, including being beaten, dragged, insulted, and hit in his genital area. Barakat said he was denied access to legal counsel. He was brought before a court via video conference and charged with incitement via Facebook and undermining Israeli security.
Barakat lost nine kilograms during his detention due to what he described as intentional starvation by prison authorities. Israeli forces confiscated two cell phones and additional technological equipment taken during the raid on his home. He received a three-year suspended sentence and was required to pay a financial bail of 12,000 shekels (approximately US$3,400). He said he was warned that he would be rearrested if he posted again on social media. Barakat was released from custody on July 6, 2024.
CPJ routinely contacts the Israel Defense Forces' North America Media Desk about its arrests of journalists. In one 2024 response the IDF said it detains ‘individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activity,' but has either provided no evidence or unsubstantiated evidence to CPJ to support these suspicions. CPJ has also contacted the Israeli Prison Service, the Palestinian General Intelligence Service, and Shin Bet about Palestinian journalists arrested in the West Bank but did not receive any replies.