Palestine
08.06.00
Urgent Interventions
Palestine Autonomous Areas: 35 year-old man dies in detention
Palestine: 35 year-old man dies in detention
Case PAL 080600
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Palestinian Autonomous Areas.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, member of the OMCT network, of the death of Mr. Khaled Mohammed Younis al-Bahar on 6 June, 2000 while in detention in Dhaheria prison.
According to the information received, Mr. Bahar (35), who was a husband and a father of six children, was arrested on 25 May, 2000 by the Preventative Security Service. The charges against Mr. Bahar are still unknown to his family. He was held in detention until his death, with no visitors allowed in to see him at any time. Upon his death, his family requested that the autopsy be performed in Abu-Kabri (Tel Aviv), but this request was denied by the authorities. The cause of Mr. Bahar's death was announced to be a heart attack before the results of the autopsy report (carried out in Abu-Dis) were released. Mr. Bahar's family has not received the autopsy results to this date.
According to the information received, there have been 23 deaths in detention in Palestine since the creation of the Palestinian Authority. In all 23 of these cases, no autopsy report has been released. Although the PA has established investigative committees to determine the cause of death, these committees have not reached any conclusions or recommendations.
The International Secretariat is gravely concerned by the considerable number of deaths in detention, for which it seems that no full investigation has taken place and no autopsy reports made public by the Palestinian Authority. As such, OMCT fears that the practice of torture may be the cause of these deaths.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Palestine urging them to:
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the death of Mr. Khaled Mohammed Younis al-Bahar and all other similar cases and ensure that autopsy reports are released for all deaths in detention in order to clarify these cases and identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
ii. guarantee the right to adequate compensation to the family of Khaled Mohammed Younis al-Bahar;
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
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").
Palestinian Authority, Minister of Justice, Abu Khadra Building, Omar al-al-Mukhtar Street, Gaza, via Israel.
Fax : + 972 7 822 236 or +972 7 286-7109
Khalid al-Qidrah, Attorney General, Palestinian Authority, Attorney General Building, Yarmouk, Gaza,
via Israel. Fax : + 972 7 824 503.
Geneva, June 8, 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Case PAL 080600
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Palestinian Autonomous Areas.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, member of the OMCT network, of the death of Mr. Khaled Mohammed Younis al-Bahar on 6 June, 2000 while in detention in Dhaheria prison.
According to the information received, Mr. Bahar (35), who was a husband and a father of six children, was arrested on 25 May, 2000 by the Preventative Security Service. The charges against Mr. Bahar are still unknown to his family. He was held in detention until his death, with no visitors allowed in to see him at any time. Upon his death, his family requested that the autopsy be performed in Abu-Kabri (Tel Aviv), but this request was denied by the authorities. The cause of Mr. Bahar's death was announced to be a heart attack before the results of the autopsy report (carried out in Abu-Dis) were released. Mr. Bahar's family has not received the autopsy results to this date.
According to the information received, there have been 23 deaths in detention in Palestine since the creation of the Palestinian Authority. In all 23 of these cases, no autopsy report has been released. Although the PA has established investigative committees to determine the cause of death, these committees have not reached any conclusions or recommendations.
The International Secretariat is gravely concerned by the considerable number of deaths in detention, for which it seems that no full investigation has taken place and no autopsy reports made public by the Palestinian Authority. As such, OMCT fears that the practice of torture may be the cause of these deaths.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Palestine urging them to:
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the death of Mr. Khaled Mohammed Younis al-Bahar and all other similar cases and ensure that autopsy reports are released for all deaths in detention in order to clarify these cases and identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
ii. guarantee the right to adequate compensation to the family of Khaled Mohammed Younis al-Bahar;
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
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").
Palestinian Authority, Minister of Justice, Abu Khadra Building, Omar al-al-Mukhtar Street, Gaza, via Israel.
Fax : + 972 7 822 236 or +972 7 286-7109
Khalid al-Qidrah, Attorney General, Palestinian Authority, Attorney General Building, Yarmouk, Gaza,
via Israel. Fax : + 972 7 824 503.
Geneva, June 8, 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.