Israel/OPT
20.11.03
Urgent Interventions
Israel: the continuing impunity of killers of two Israeli citizens
Case ISR 201103
Extra-judicial execution
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Israel.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), a member of the OMCT network, of the extra-judicial execution of two Israeli citizens by members of the border police in Israel and the continuing impunity of the perpetrators of these actions.
According to the information received, two Israeli citizens were killed by Border Policemen: Morsi Gebali (a resident of Taibe, killed on July 22nd, 2003) and Nasser Abu Al Kiyan (a resident of Hora, killed on July 24th, 2003).
28-year-old Morsi Gebali, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, was killed at the entrance to Taibe as he sat as a passenger in a car driven by his friend. According to the driver and other eye-witnesses, the car was stopped at the time shots were fired and the police who were at the site were in no danger. The driver of the car was also wounded in the incident.
23-year-old Nasser Abu Al Kiyan, a resident of Hora in the Negev, was killed by shots fired by border policement while he sat in his car at the Shoket Junction. According to eye-witnesses, Nasser's car was stopped at a traffic light and the border policemen were in no danger. Witnesses also report that the police officer got out of the Border Police jeep, aimed his gun at Nasser, and shot him at close range through the window of the car. Other cars were also stopped at the intersection. Witnesses report that the policemen were also present at the scene of the shooting and later at the police station reportedly reacted “with joy” to the news of the shooting.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by these extra-judicial executions and calls on the authorities to immediately launch a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law. OMCT also urges the authorities to award adequate reparation to the families of the victims.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Israel urging them to:
i. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
ii. guarantee that adequate reparation is provided to the victims of these abuses;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, Office of the Prime Minister, 3 Kaplan Street, PO Box 187, Kiryat Ben-Gurion, Jerusalem 91919, Israel, Fax: +972 2 6705475, E-mail: rohm@pmo.gov.il, pm_eng@pmo.gov.il
· Minister of Justice, Yosef Lapid, 29 Salah al-Din Street, Jerusalem 91010, Israel, Fax : +972 2 628 5438, E-mail: sar@justice.gov.il
· Judge Attorney General, Major General Menachem Finkelstein, Israeli Defence Forces, Fax: +972 3 5694370
· Ambassador Yaakov Levy, Av. de la Paix 1-3, CH-1202, Genève, Suisse, E-mail: mission-israel@geneva.mfa.gov.il, Fax: +4122 716 05 55
Please also write to the embassies of Israel in your respective country.
Geneva, November 20th, 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Extra-judicial execution
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Israel.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), a member of the OMCT network, of the extra-judicial execution of two Israeli citizens by members of the border police in Israel and the continuing impunity of the perpetrators of these actions.
According to the information received, two Israeli citizens were killed by Border Policemen: Morsi Gebali (a resident of Taibe, killed on July 22nd, 2003) and Nasser Abu Al Kiyan (a resident of Hora, killed on July 24th, 2003).
28-year-old Morsi Gebali, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, was killed at the entrance to Taibe as he sat as a passenger in a car driven by his friend. According to the driver and other eye-witnesses, the car was stopped at the time shots were fired and the police who were at the site were in no danger. The driver of the car was also wounded in the incident.
23-year-old Nasser Abu Al Kiyan, a resident of Hora in the Negev, was killed by shots fired by border policement while he sat in his car at the Shoket Junction. According to eye-witnesses, Nasser's car was stopped at a traffic light and the border policemen were in no danger. Witnesses also report that the police officer got out of the Border Police jeep, aimed his gun at Nasser, and shot him at close range through the window of the car. Other cars were also stopped at the intersection. Witnesses report that the policemen were also present at the scene of the shooting and later at the police station reportedly reacted “with joy” to the news of the shooting.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by these extra-judicial executions and calls on the authorities to immediately launch a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law. OMCT also urges the authorities to award adequate reparation to the families of the victims.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Israel urging them to:
i. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
ii. guarantee that adequate reparation is provided to the victims of these abuses;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, Office of the Prime Minister, 3 Kaplan Street, PO Box 187, Kiryat Ben-Gurion, Jerusalem 91919, Israel, Fax: +972 2 6705475, E-mail: rohm@pmo.gov.il, pm_eng@pmo.gov.il
· Minister of Justice, Yosef Lapid, 29 Salah al-Din Street, Jerusalem 91010, Israel, Fax : +972 2 628 5438, E-mail: sar@justice.gov.il
· Judge Attorney General, Major General Menachem Finkelstein, Israeli Defence Forces, Fax: +972 3 5694370
· Ambassador Yaakov Levy, Av. de la Paix 1-3, CH-1202, Genève, Suisse, E-mail: mission-israel@geneva.mfa.gov.il, Fax: +4122 716 05 55
Please also write to the embassies of Israel in your respective country.
Geneva, November 20th, 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.