Palestine Feature: Communications Minister Resigns Over Blocking of Websites (BBC)

Mahmoud AbbasThe BBC reports:

The communications minister of the Palestinian Authority has resigned, claiming it was trying to silence its critics and curb freedom of expression.

Mashour Abu Daqa said senior officials had ordered several opposition websites to be blocked over the past six months.

He said the moves were bad for the image of the PA in the modern world.

Security forces have also recently arrested four journalists and an activist who had criticised President Mahmoud Abbas and other officials.

The United States State Department has expressed its concern.

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Jerusalem says the PA has been accused of many things by its detractors, including being undemocratic, ineffectual and corrupt.

But until now it has had a reasonable claim to have allowed freedom of speech in the West Bank, our correspondent says. Now that too is in question.

On Thursday night, Mr Abu Daqa announced he was stepping down and revealed that the PA's attorney general had ordered Palestinian internet service providers to block access to at least eight websites in the past six months.

The blocked websites - Amad, Fatah Voice, Firas Press, In Light Press, Karama Press, Kofia Press, Milad News and Palestine Beituna - were all highly critical of the leadership of Mr Abbas, and are loyal to one of his harshest opponents, Mohammed Dahlan....

Mr Abu Daqa said the closure of the websites linked to Mr Dahlan was "bad for the image of the Palestinian Authority in the modern world".

He also predicted that the policy would ultimately be ineffective because those behind the websites could simply change their domain names.

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