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News ID: 90864
Publish Date : 01 June 2021 - 21:49

AFP Fires Palestinian Journalist Under ‘Israeli Diktats’

WEST BANK (Dispatches) – Agence France Presse (AFP) has sacked its Palestinian correspondent in the West Bank, the journalist’s union said on Monday. Nasser Abu Baker lost his job apparently after the agency came under “Israeli diktats”, said the Syndicate of Palestinian Journalists.
The union condemned the sacking of Abu Baker, calling it an ‘arbitrary’ measure against a journalist with twenty years’ experience.
“This decision came after repeated incitement campaigns against Abu Baker over his stances and his activities as the head of the syndicate. It is mainly due to his involvement in the issue of seeking to bring occupation leaders before international courts for their crimes against his fellow Palestinian journalists.”
The syndicate described the sacking as a “shameful” move by AFP. It called upon the Palestinian Authority to revoke the accreditation of the international news agency “immediately”.
In the meantime, it requested all official bodies and media institutions not to deal with AFP’s office in the occupied West Bank, and to consider the sacking among other Zionist crimes against journalists.
According to the syndicate, Abu Baker was subject to a “systematic harassment campaign during the past five years from the AFP management and its former and current senior staff aiming to push him to resign due to his efforts to defend journalists.”
Palestinian Journalists described it as “racist” and stressed that it was the result of “Israeli pressure”. The forum declared its solidarity and support for Abu Baker.
The move comes days after the Associated Press fired news associate, Emily Wilder, over her criticism of the Zionist regime and support for the people of Palestine, drawing backlash from journalists.
The U.S. news agency, headquartered in New York City, fired her after Wilder had been targeted by extremist, Zionist media outlets for her pro-Palestinian activism in college days.