A Jerusalem magistrate court has overturned the conviction of an Israeli police officer filmed assaulting a Palestinian photojournalist, imposing 300 hours of community service and citing post-traumatic stress linked to the October 7, 2023 conflict as a mitigating factor.
Officer Yitzhak Sofer was originally convicted over the beating of Anadolu Agency photographer Mustafa Alkharouf in December 2023 in Wadi al-Joz, occupied East Jerusalem. Video footage showed Sofer and other officers pushing Alkharouf to the ground and repeatedly striking him as he covered Friday prayers near the Al-Aqsa Mosque amid heightened security restrictions.
On appeal, the court ruled that Sofer’s trauma following the October 7 attacks undermined criminal liability and justified community service rather than imprisonment.
Press freedom organisations have criticised the decision, arguing it raises concerns about accountability in cases involving violence against journalists. The ruling comes amid broader scrutiny over the safety of Palestinian media workers. According to international press monitors, nearly 300 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began.
The case also follows recent Israeli measures against several media outlets in Jerusalem that authorities accused of security-related violations, moves that critics say have further intensified debate over press freedom in the region.
Rights groups say the combination of high casualty figures, restrictions on media activity, and legal outcomes in assault cases has heightened concern about protections for journalists reporting on the conflict.
