Jordan
26.10.00
Urgent Interventions
Jordan: more excessive force against demonstrators
Case JOR 261000
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Jordan.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by further reports from a reliable source of confrontations between the police and peaceful demonstrators in Southern Shuneh, Jordan.
According to the information received, 46 persons were detained and later released, and another 200 persons hospitalised for inhaling gasses and for injuries caused by riot police beating, during a march on 24th October 2000 in support of the Right of the Palestinians to return home, organised by the Jordanian Professional Unions with prior permission from the government.
The Jordanian government had only allowed 45 busses to head for King Hussein Bridge, one of the three borders to Israel. In addition to the busses, thousands of cars arrived at the bridge and joined the march.
After only a few hundred meters march in direction of the bridge, and while demonstrators were heading to their buses as rain began to fall, riot police in armoured tanks fired tear gas and turned water cannons on the crowds leading to heavy clashes between demonstrators and the Jordanian police.
Officers in a police helicopter hovering overhead also threw down tear gas canisters and noise bombs on the demonstrators below. In addition, life ammunition was reportedly been used to disperse the marchers.
Dozens of people had to seek help in a nearby health centre, most of them suffering from lack of oxygen caused by tear gas bombs. But the medical staff was partly unable to provide health service due to gas bombs thrown at the medical centre entrance.
The riot police had beaten-up many people, one man was shot in the leg and another in the chest while it was reported that one person has suffered a heart attack due to heavy gas inhalation.
Among the marchers were a great number of children and women. Children and infants were crying and some families lost hold of their children in the commotion and panic caused by the heavy use of gas, which made vision in the area obscure.
At least one journalist suffered bruises to the face and was detained for several hours (Jamal Nasrallah, French Press Agency) and many films taken by TV reporters covering the rally were confiscated.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Jordan urging them to:
i. Put an immediate end to the use of excessive force against Jordanian demonstrators and ensure that all law enforcement agencies conform to international human rights standards;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into all injuries in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. order the immediate release of those persons reportedly detained, in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iv. 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, Ali Abu Al-Ragheb, PO Box 80, 352 Amman, Jordan. Fax No: 00962 6 4 642520.
Interior Ministry, Fax No: 00962 6 464 0404
Geneva, October 26, 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Jordan.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by further reports from a reliable source of confrontations between the police and peaceful demonstrators in Southern Shuneh, Jordan.
According to the information received, 46 persons were detained and later released, and another 200 persons hospitalised for inhaling gasses and for injuries caused by riot police beating, during a march on 24th October 2000 in support of the Right of the Palestinians to return home, organised by the Jordanian Professional Unions with prior permission from the government.
The Jordanian government had only allowed 45 busses to head for King Hussein Bridge, one of the three borders to Israel. In addition to the busses, thousands of cars arrived at the bridge and joined the march.
After only a few hundred meters march in direction of the bridge, and while demonstrators were heading to their buses as rain began to fall, riot police in armoured tanks fired tear gas and turned water cannons on the crowds leading to heavy clashes between demonstrators and the Jordanian police.
Officers in a police helicopter hovering overhead also threw down tear gas canisters and noise bombs on the demonstrators below. In addition, life ammunition was reportedly been used to disperse the marchers.
Dozens of people had to seek help in a nearby health centre, most of them suffering from lack of oxygen caused by tear gas bombs. But the medical staff was partly unable to provide health service due to gas bombs thrown at the medical centre entrance.
The riot police had beaten-up many people, one man was shot in the leg and another in the chest while it was reported that one person has suffered a heart attack due to heavy gas inhalation.
Among the marchers were a great number of children and women. Children and infants were crying and some families lost hold of their children in the commotion and panic caused by the heavy use of gas, which made vision in the area obscure.
At least one journalist suffered bruises to the face and was detained for several hours (Jamal Nasrallah, French Press Agency) and many films taken by TV reporters covering the rally were confiscated.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Jordan urging them to:
i. Put an immediate end to the use of excessive force against Jordanian demonstrators and ensure that all law enforcement agencies conform to international human rights standards;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into all injuries in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. order the immediate release of those persons reportedly detained, in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iv. 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, Ali Abu Al-Ragheb, PO Box 80, 352 Amman, Jordan. Fax No: 00962 6 4 642520.
Interior Ministry, Fax No: 00962 6 464 0404
Geneva, October 26, 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.