Hamas Releases Journalist

British journalist Paul Martin, who has produced BBC reports and also worked for the London Times, was arrested in Gaza by Hamas authorities February 14 on what authorities said was suspicion of “violating Palestinian law and security in the Gaza strip.”

After being held for a month, he was released without any charges being filed. But a Hamas official called him a spy for Israel and forbid him from returning to Gaza or the West Bank.

When detained, Martin was not reporting in Gaza but had gone there to testify for a Hamas militant on trial in a Hamas military court. Martin was arrested in the courtroom and accused of helping the militant who was on trial for collaborating with the Israeli army during the army’s January 2009 conflict with Hamas militants in Gaza. Martin was the first foreigner arrested by the Hamas Islamic group since it took over Gaza in 2007.