Join us for an evening exploring the role of journalists and photographers working in Palestine. Hear stories of arbitrary detention, assault and persecution whilst carrying out a 'days work'. An exhibition of powerful pictures from the conflict zone will be on display on the night.

The seminar will consider the role of journalists and photographers working in conflict zones and how they carry out this role in places such as Palestine, an occupied territory. We will discuss the social and moral issues arising for the Trade Unions as well as the legal issues.

The current situation: you will hear from Jim Boumelha, President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) providing an overview of the IFJ and the situation in Palestine. 

The Middle East and Arab World: Monir Zaarour will speak about the role of the IFJ in the Middle East.

Supporting journalists: Michelle Stanistreet from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) will be discussing their international work and the union’s role in supporting journalists reporting from Palestine.

Legal remedies: Saimo Chahal QC (Hon) of Bindmans LLP specialises in international and civil liberties and human rights law. She will be considering possible legal remedies.

Our Speakers

Jim Boumelha

President, International Federation of Journalists 

During his nine years as president of the International Federation of Journalists, Jim Boumelha has played a major role in building and strengthening the work of journalists trade unions and association throughout the Arab world, consistently representing journalists in dealings with authorities and employers, advising on capacity building and media issues ranging from legislation and press laws to professional and ethical issues. He has participated in scores of missions in Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Sudan, and assisted in dozens of congresses and seminars in Africa and the Middle East.  Jim is also currently an executive member of the National Union of Journalists, UK and Ireland, and has been leading the international work of the union for over 20 years during which he has shaped the special relationship between the NUJ and its counterpart in Palestine.

In leading the IFJ and its 150 member unions representing 600,000 journalists worldwide, Jim represent them and speaks on their behalf in their dealings with governments, corporations and international institutions such as the UN agencies.

Saimo Chahal QC (Hon)

Partner, Bindmans LLP 

Saimo Chahal QC (Hon) is a partner at Bindmans LLP and Joint Head of the International and Public Law and Human Rights teams. She has had numerous successes before the Supreme Court, in high profile cases. She has submitted applications to the European Court on behalf of clients in other EEC countries.

She was awarded the title of Honorary QC for making a major contribution to the development of the law of England and Wales. She was named in 2015 in BLD as one of a few black lawyers, whose influence extends beyond the law and is described as “a mover and shaker”. She is named in Whose Who for her wider contribution to society through the law and has won many other awards for her work, Solicitor of the Year, Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year and Hot Campaigning lawyer. She has been named in the Times 100 as one of the country’s most influential lawyers.

She was part of a delegation in 2015 to report on the position of Migrants arriving in Scilly and Lampedusa.  She also attended a conference in Ramallah in November 2015 with the International Federation of Journalists to consider the legal issues arising from the persecution of journalists working in conflict zones in Palestine.  She is advising producers of a documentary about Extremism for the company Made in Copenhagen. She is a well known speaker on Civil Liberties and Human Rights and has given many interviews in the media.

Michelle Stanistreet

General Secretary, National Union of Journalists 

Michelle Stanistreet is the elected general secretary of the National Union of Journalists (UK and Ireland). The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is the representative voice for journalists and media workers across the UK and Ireland. The union was founded in 1907 and has 30,000 members. It represents staff and freelances working at home and abroad in the broadcast media, newspapers, news agencies, magazines, books, public relations, communications, online media and photography. Michelle worked as a journalist for 10 years at the Sunday Express newspaper as feature writer and books editor. She was NUJ mother of the chapel at Express Newspapers, as well as the national representative for newspapers and agencies on the NUJ's ruling NEC. In 2006, she was elected vice-president of the NUJ and in 2007-8 served as the union's president. Michelle became the first woman in the NUJ's history to be elected general secretary in April 2011 and the first woman deputy general secretary elected in 2008.

Photo Credit: Jess Hurd

Monir Zaarour

Coordinator of the Middle East and Arab World, International Federation of Journalists

Monir has been working in Brussels at the secretariat of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) since 2006 as the IFJ Coordinator for the Middle East and the Arab World. He is responsible for planning and implementing of the IFJ programmes in the region for the strengthening of journalists’ rights and conditions. While journalist safety has been the main priority for the IFJ and its affiliates in the region since 2011, there are other important areas of work including regional solidarity, media freedom and legal reform, trade union building and ethics and self-regulation. 

Monir travels throughout the Arab World and the Middle East, where he works with national journalists unions, national stakeholders in cooperation with regional and international bodies and media development organisations and the trade union movement.   

Monir has a master degree in International Conflict Analysis from the Brussels School of International Studies. He worked previously at the Cinema Production Centre in Ramallah-Palestine and he is a member of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate.