Jerusalem "peace radio" staff under house arrest
April 8th, 2008 - 14:15 UTC by Andy

An Israeli court today placed under house arrest seven employees of an
English-language radio station set up to foster dialogue between
Israelis and Palestinians. The Ministry of Communications shut the
South African-backed RAM FM's Jerusalem studio on Monday, saying it
did not have a licence to broadcast. RAM FM has denied it was breaking
the law.

Seven employees including journalists and technicians were initially
detained for about 24 hours. The Jerusalem magistrates court released
them on bail but put them under a week's house arrest while police
continue to investigate. "They were accused of establishing and
operating a broadcast station without a permit ... obviously we have
denied the allegations," said the station's lawyer Asher Rabinowitz.

Set up a year ago with backing from a South African station that aimed
to foster racial reconciliation after apartheid, RAM FM says it hopes
its mix of phone-ins, music and news can help build links over the
airwaves between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Jerusalem Foreign Press Association called the detention of the
staff "absurd". A senior government official said the RAM FM arrests
were not politically motivated and related purely to the licence
issue. The station continued to broadcast out of its main studio in
the Palestinian West Bank city of Ramallah.

Israel has been trying to police broadcasting frequencies more
strictly. Pirate stations have been accused of interfering with air
traffic control radios at the country's main airport. http://www.ramfm.net