Scottish correspondent continues to be held by Israeli authorities

Nov. 7, 2011 - PRLog -- As the only UK citizen in a flotilla of two ships and 27 participants destined for Gaza, Palestine, Scottish-raised news correspondent and accomplished documentary film-maker Hassan Ghani has been imprisoned since Friday 4th November in Israeli custody, separated from his shipmates and cut off from his friends, family and work.  

Hassan travelled with the flotilla boats to provide coverage of their journey to Gaza, as he has done previously in his professional capacity, yet both he, the participants and another reporter, Jihan Hafiz from U.S.-based news channel Democracy Now have been kidnapped by the Israeli military and detained against their will, having refused attempts by the authorities there to get them to sign statements declaring they had entered Israel illegally.  At no point did the vessels enter Israeli waters yet the militarised state used force to surround, board and overwhelm the civilian passengers with aggression, using water cannon and taser weapons against the passengers before dragging the damaged vessels and the shocked and injured to land in Israel and to jail.

It took longer for Hassan's family and the flotilla organisers to identify where he was because he was separated from the rest of the group.  It was not clear  even which detention centre he was in following Israel's violent interception at sea of two vessels MV Saoirse, organised by Irish campaigners and MV Tahrir, organised by Canadian campaigners.  Hassan's father Haq Ghani, a Glasgow resident since he was seven or eight years old, formerly a career IT specialist,  approached his MSP (Member of Scottish Parliament) John Robertson (Lab), in order to seek assistance in order to expedite his son's release from custody and to raise questions about his treatment and that of the other participants.  Yet instead of assistance Mr Ghani faced pro Israel arguments from his elected representative whose office have simply attempted to provide information on Hassan's consular progress - which they are unable to do in any event due to data protection rules on information sharing.  Disappointed at the response of his own MSP Mr Ghani turned to recently elected Scottish National Party (SNP) representative Yusuf Hamza who has been assisting the family.

Hassan Ghani is a media reporter with considerable experience of covering national and international events and reporting from numerous locations both for Press TV channel and as a freelance journalist.  He has produced live reports, bulletins and films from places as diverse as Afghanistan, Southern Somalia and St. Paul's cathedral Occupy protest; he has taken overland journeys through Europe and the Middle East with aid convoys to Palestine and reported on the eviction of travellers from Dale Farm Essex; he was present reporting from Cairo's Tahrir Square during January's revolution and was reporting from the decks of the Mavi Marmara humanitarian aid ship as it was attacked in international waters by Israel in May 2010.

In 2008 Hassan received a nomination for Channel 4's 4talent prize for journalism, in the same year Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond awarded him 'Young Scottish Muslim of the Year'.  For six years he has dedicated his time to providing high quality news correspondence and journalism making reports and documentary films covering causes and campaigns by civil society across the world: a man of integrity, dedication and resilience with achievements surpassing his 26 years of age.  Yet today he is imprisoned in an Israeli detention centre, having been allowed one telephone call of three minutes to his family since Friday 4th November, separated from his shipmates, media equipment and belongings as once again Israel acts in violence with impunity against civilians who have committed no offence.

The silence of our politicians on this interception is deafening, yet their silence also tells us so clearly why civil society activists have to risk their lives through direct action.  Due to the silence and complicity of the majority of politicians and their inability to hold Israel accountable to obligations under international law, including more than 60 international resolutions passed by UN, civil society volunteers and activists have no choice but to take action to protect rights.

Hassan has provided professional journalism on a number of Gaza-bound convoys and flotillas already, alongside reports on many other issues in many other parts of the world.  

Crucially, he is a survivor and witness of the attacks by the Israeli military on the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish ship that was part of the first Freedom Flotilla in May 2010.  It was his live broadcasting for Press TV, under sniper fire and with colleagues being killed and injured around him, that informed the world of the reality of the Israeli attacks on the Freedom Flotilla on 31st May 2010.  

He was maltreated by the Israeli Govt after that flotilla's participants were taken against their will to Israel.  He was prohibited from exercising his professional rights to carry on reporting and all his belongings and professional equipment were stolen or trashed.

It is the duty of media correspondents to inform the public and coverage of matters of such importance as world peace, security and human rights is vital, such as the ongoing and well-documented rights abuse in Palestine.  In undertaking these acts Israel has, once again, not only violated the individuals aboard the ships and the journalists in undertaking their work but also violated public access to reports on matters of critical public importance.

The UK authorities have provided consular assistance to Hassan and his family since his arrest, yet nothing has been said in public by any elected leader about the kidnap and detention of one of our most talented media correspondents and producers.  It is hardly surprising that citizens of the world and the UK no longer hold faith in those entrusted to administer public affairs at the highest level.  

The Canadian MV Tahrir support team is reporting at http://www.tahrir.ca

The Irish MV Saoirse support team is reporting at http://www.irishshiptogaza.org