Arrest and detention of University students

Case PAL 010300 The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Palestine Autonomous Areas. Brief description of the situation The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), a member of the OMCT network, of the arrest and detention, and a report of torture, of University students in the Palestine Autonomous Areas. According to the information received, since clashes between Palestinian Security Services and Birzeit University students five days ago, 28 Students from Birzeit and other universities in the West Bank remain in detention. To date, 8 students have been released. It is reported that students are still being harassed and many threatened with detention. According to the information received, Abu Kharsh, 21, a student of the Humanities department of Birzeit University, stated that he had been arrested while he was in a taxi and transferred to the GIA headquarters in Ramallah and interrogated. He added that he was pressured during his interrogation to list the names of other students involved in the Birzeit events. In his affadavit, he added that he had been hooded for a long period of time and severely beaten. He was later released at 12:00pm on Sunday. His ID was held by the PSS until he returned for interrogation. In addition, the Police Chief Major General Ghazi Jabali issued orders on 29th February 2000 which bans Palestinians from organizing processions, demonstrations or holding public meetings without obtaining an approval from the district police commander. The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by this situation, in particular for the physical and psychological integrity of all detainees. Action requested Please write to the authorities in Palestine urging them to: i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of all detainees and order their immediate release in the absence of valid charges; ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these arrests and allegations of torture in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law; iii. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of all University students in the Palestine Autonomous Areas; iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance international human rights standards, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture. Addresses Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority, Abu Khadra Building, Omar al-Mukhtar Street, Gaza, via Israel. Fax : + 972 7 2822 365/6 ( if voice, say "fax, please"). Freih Abu Meddein, Palestinian Authority, Minister of Justice, Abu Khadra Building, Omar al-al-Mukhtar Street, Gaza, via Israel. Fax : + 972 7 2822 236 Khalid al-Qidrah, Attorney General, Palestinian Authority, Attorney General Building, Yarmouk, Gaza, via Israel. Fax : + 972 7 2824 502. Geneva, March 1, 2000 Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.