May 18, 2002	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 5, 1423

PARIS, May 17: Five Palestinian journalists who were arrested several weeks ago by the Israeli army remain in jail, although most of them have never been charged with an offence.

The revelation was made in Paris on Friday by the Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), that is demanding of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that they “be freed at once.”

According to RSF, the five Palestinian journalists have been held without explanation for several weeks, with some of them having been detained for nearly a month without being charged with any offence.

One of the journalists “is being held in an unknown place,” says RSF Secretary General Robert Menard, “something which is unacceptable.” Above all, he notes, “all of them were apparently simply doing their job of informing the public.”

RSF reports that at least 20 Palestinian journalists have been arrested since the start of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian towns and cities on March 29.