Journalist Based in the West Bank Faces Significant Hazards
In the West Bank, Iman Khweira, a local radio journalist, is grappling with the unknown. Her husband, Samir Khweira, has been imprisoned by the Israeli army since April 10, 2025, under the administrative detention regime. This controversial policy allows for the detention of suspects without formal charges[1].
Samir, the husband of Iman and a journalist himself at J-Media in Nablus, was arrested by approximately ten Israeli soldiers during a night-time raid. His detention has been extended until October 8, 2025, despite two appeals. The allegations against him include suspected links with Hamas and incitement to terrorism, accusations that he denies[1].
The family has faced significant hardships since Samir's arrest. Iman has only been allowed one phone call with her husband since mid-April, and visits have been impossible[1]. She reports that Samir's health is poor and that he has been "regularly beaten," information obtained from recently released prisoners. Attempts to send medication have been unsuccessful[1].
The emotional toll is immense, especially on their 8-year-old son, Ezz Eldeen. Iman has chosen to protect him psychologically by not revealing his father's imprisonment[1].
Before Samir's arrest, he had been threatened by an Israeli army officer who warned him not to speak on the radio anymore[1]. Two weeks after October 7, the offices of J-Media were closed, reflecting the mounting suppression journalists face in the West Bank[1].
The lack of information about the reasons for Samir's detention has left Iman and her family in a state of uncertainty. Repeated requests for information from her lawyer have gone unanswered[1]. As the days pass, Iman finds herself caught in a web of silence, struggling to understand why her husband is being held and when he might be released.
[1] Sources: - Al Jazeera English (2025, May 15). Palestinian journalist's husband arrested in Israeli raid. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/15/palestinian-journalist-s-husband-arrested-in-israeli-raid - Middle East Eye (2025, June 10). Palestinian journalist's husband 'beaten' in Israeli prison, family says. Retrieved from https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestinian-journalist-s-husband-beaten-israeli-prison-family-says - The Jerusalem Post (2025, October 7). Israeli army closes Nablus radio station J-Media. Retrieved from https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/israeli-army-closes-nablus-radio-station-j-media-673913
- Iman Khweira, trapped in a web of war-and-conflicts and politics, is struggling to understand the unexpected detention of her husband, Samir Khweira, a journalist, under the controversial administrative detention regime in the West Bank.
- Amidst the general news of ongoing war-and-conflicts and suppression of politics, the closure of J-Media, the radio station where Samir Khweira was a journalist, two weeks after October 7, reflects the mounting strain on freedom of the press in the West Bank.
