PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Palestinians: Press Freedom (30 October 2019)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Palestinian Authority on the effect of the implementation of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 on freedom of the press in that region.

Asked by:
Bob Blackman (Conservative)

The UK supports calls for greater media freedoms in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The evidence is clear: where journalists and media organisations are free to do their work, societies are more prosperous and resilient. Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem regularly raise the issue of freedom of expression, including the revision of relevant legislation, with the Palestinian Authority. Her Majesty’s Consul General in Jerusalem raised this most recently on 30 October. We encourage the Palestinian Authority to ensure the harmonisation of Palestinian laws with International Human Rights conventions to which it has acceded, in order to guarantee that freedom of expression and the generally free and pluralistic media environment are preserved.

Answered by:
Dr Andrew Murrison (Conservative)
5 November 2019