Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently approved a law to battle cybercrime in the West Bank, but some journalists and citizens worry ulterior motives might be involved. 

The version of the bill Abbas signed June 24 isn't the one journalists and the public were expecting, said Nabhan Khreisheh, a member of the Union of Palestinian Journalists' General Secretariat. He told Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper June 27 that the law is a "retrograde step" designed to intimidate Palestinians and keep them from criticizing the political system.

The law undermines freedom of expression online, he said, contending that it was passed in part so authorities could block more than 11 websites affiliated with Hamas and parliament member Mohammed Dahlan, an Abbas rival.

The new law regulates online transactions, media websites and social networking sites, imposing fines on those violating public order or inciting hatred on these websites. It states, “Anyone who has established a website, disseminated information on the internet or any information technology tool, promoting ideas and programs violating the public order and morals, [will] be sentenced to prison for a period of no less than five years.”