Israel Matzav

British 'journalist' detained in Gaza

Remember Alan Johnston (pictured), the BBC reporter who was 'kidnapped' and spent 114 days in Hamas custody in 2007? Well, it's happened again, except that this time there's no need to kidnap anyone. Hamas just arrested a BBC reporter.

The man was identified as Paul Martin, The arrest was confirmed by the Foreign Office, which also said it was providing consular assistance.

A Hamas spokesman said Paul Martin was arrested for violating security but further details were not given.

Reports say he was taken into custody for a fortnight while attending a court hearing.

Mr Martin has written for the BBC and the Times.

Hamas interior ministry spokesman Ehab Ghussein said: "We have confessions that the British journalist committed offences against Palestinian law, and that harms the security of the country."

How could a useful idiot from the BBC 'harm the security' of the 'country'? JPost explains.

A spokesman for a Palestinian terrorist group, the Abu Rish Brigades, said the journalist was at a Gaza courthouse Sunday to show support for a member of the brigades who was being tried on charges of providing information to Israel.

During the trial, a judge ordered the journalist to be taken into custody and held for two weeks, said the spokesman, who only gave his nom de guerre, Abu Ahmed.

Ghussein said Hamas security forces have obtained "confessions that the British journalist violated Palestinian law and the security of the state." He did not explain further.

Hamas is eager to improve its image in the West and has generally not interfered with the work of foreign journalists since seizing control of Gaza in 2007.

Hey - that's Richard Goldstone's favorite 'court system' in action. What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:31 AM