In the year 2022 – the occupation escalated the persecution of the Palestinians because of their opinions on social media

During the year 2022, the occupation authorities significantly escalated their prosecution of  Palestinians because of their opinions and activity on social media, as the occupation arrested approximately (410) Palestinians in this context.

In this matter, the occupation courts charged all detainees with incitement  due to their posting on social media, so that a picture of a martyr or just mentioning his name, or an invitation to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque, has become a threat that requires arrest and abuse.

The occupation authorities recently established a new unit under the name “Unity of Awareness” its mission is to monitor the accounts of Palestinians, especially Jerusalemites, on social media, and to make recommendations to the security authorities to arrest them.

The military prosecution of the occupation indicted some of the detainees, and various sentences were issued against them, ranging from several months to several years, on charges of incitement, while others were transferred to “administrative detention”.

The occupation was not content with issuing actual and administrative rulings against Palestinians who were arrested for their posts on social media, but went further in violating their rights by requiring them, before their release, to stop using social media for periods of up to several months, in addition to a financial fine and house arrest, to prevent them from writing on these sites.

Number of Palestinians arrested by The occupation for their posts on social media:

2018 (145)

2019 (184)

2020 (220)

2021 (390)

2022 (410)