IOF transfer Al Mayadeen's Nasser al-Lahham to notorious Ofer prison
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Al Mayadeen's Palestine bureau chief, Nasser al-Lahham, has been transferred to Ofer Prison by the Israeli occupation, amid a broader crackdown on media.
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Israeli security personnel stand outside Ofer military prison in the occupied West Bank, on Feb. 8, 2025. (AP)
The Israeli occupation has transferred Al Mayadeen's Palestine bureau chief, Nasser al-Lahham, from the Maskoubiye detention center to Ofer Prison, confirmed the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS), adding that a court session for al-Lahham is scheduled for this coming Thursday.
Member of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Omar Nazzal, said the Israeli interrogation of al-Lahham is focused on his work with Al Mayadeen TV.
The occupation forces detained al-Lahham at dawn from his home in Beit Lahm, amid an intensified campaign by "Israel" targeting journalists at an unprecedented scale since the start of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the Commission and the PPS stated.
According to the statement, the number of journalists who have been arrested or detained since the beginning of the genocide has reached 193. Of those, 50 journalists remain in detention, including Al Mayadeen's al-Lahham.
The Commission and the PPS noted that the majority of detained journalists are facing charges related to so-called “incitement” through social media platforms and news outlets, while others are held under administrative detention based on alleged “secret files”.
The Israeli occupation also categorizes journalists in Gaza as so-called "unlawful combatants".
Al Mayadeen condemns al-Lahham's detention
Al Mayadeen Media Network issued a strong-worded statement on Monday denouncing the violent detention of its bureau chief in occupied Palestine. The network said the arrest was carried out with "brutality and repression," demanding al-Lahham’s immediate release.
Al Mayadeen labeled al-Lahham's detention as part of a wider campaign of repression carried out by Israeli authorities against Palestinian journalists.
"We are not surprised by the occupation’s sadistic practices," Al Mayadeen said, "nor by its persistent hostility toward journalism, journalists, and the right to report the truth."
Al Mayadeen's statement asserted that al-Lahham is one of the most renowned names in Palestinian media, with more than 30 years of experience in journalism. His arrest drew immediate condemnation from across the Arab world, with media figures, press freedom advocates, and political movements expressing solidarity.
"For us, Nasser is more than a bureau chief. He is a leading voice in Palestinian journalism, a symbol of purposeful reporting, and a steadfast defender of his people’s rights," Al Mayadeen's statement asserted.
In late October 2023, Israeli forces raided al-Lahham’s home, assaulting his wife and children, conducting an intrusive search, and detaining his two sons, Basil and Basel.
Read more: Al Mayadeen holds Beirut, Tehran rallies in support of Nasser Lahham
