An Israeli court today extended the months-long house arrest of a Palestinian journalist from annexed east Jerusalem, who stands accused of incitement over her Facebook posts, according to her lawyer.
Lama Ghosheh, a freelance reporter for various Palestinian media outlets, was detained in September and placed under house arrest after 10 days in jail.
The 30-year-old has been accused of “incitement to violence” and “identification with a terrorist group”, according to the indictment which mentions Facebook posts and messages as evidence.
Her lawyer Mohammed Mahmoud said the court was considering a penalty of community service rather than a prison term if his client is convicted.
Ghosheh told reporters that her Facebook posts reflected “the narrative of the Palestinian street and weren’t invented from her imagination.”
On Monday, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered the closure of an east Jerusalem office of Voice of Palestine, a public broadcaster based in the occupied West Bank.
He accused it of “incitement and supporting terror” and said it was not licensed to operate from Jerusalem.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists on Monday called on Israeli authorities to “immediately reverse their order” to shut the office and “cease harassing members of the press”.
