Palestine
06.03.00
Urgent Interventions
Palestine Autonomous Areas: ill-treatment and torture sustained by several students
Case PAL 010300.2
Second follow-up to Case PAL 010300
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Palestine Autonomous Areas.
New Information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information, confirmed by the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), regarding the ill-treatment and torture sustained by the following students currently detained by Palestinian security forces. The following includes a list of students which are currently in detention, in addition to those mentioned in OMCT case PAL 010300.1 and PAL 010300.
According to the information received, the following students remain in general Security Interrogation Headquarters for the West Bank, Jericho.
1. Issam Arrar (had breathing difficulties, taken to hospital and returned, needs medicine) 2. Muhannad Abu Ghosh (beaten on first day of detention, bruised and swollen hand, face and ears- needs medical attention) 3. Ramy Fedayel (beaten on first day of detention) 4. Israr Ya’coub (beaten on first day of detention) 5. Haitham Hamatneh 6. Ead Mir’ib 7. Issam Al-Natsheh 8. Rami Salamin 9. Mahmoud Shreiteh 10. Raja’i Thaher 11. Mu’ath Samara 12. Naji Sidder 13. Mahdi Kharoub 14. Shadi Ka’abni 15. Firas Barghouthi 16. Sari Orabi Taha 17. Anas Rayan 18. Haytham Haj Hassan
According to further information, of the following students detained in Preventative Security, Jericho, the first seven students were visited by lawyers on 2 March 2000. They were placed in Shabeh (position abuse) on the first day of their detention only, one for a period of 10 hours. They appeared in good condition during the visit.
19. Ead Riyahi 20. Ibrahim Sabe 21. Dia Zaki Salameh 22. Usayd Al Shanti (beaten on first day of detention) 23. Khader Adnan Musa ‘Arabbi (shabeh, isolated from rest, lawyer visit denied)
The following students are said to be detained at Preventive Security, Nablus (Jneid Prison), 24. Samer Fakhri Said 25. Jibril Fihmi Mohammad Hijeh
Finally, these students are said to be detained at Preventive Security, Bethlehem. 26. Baha Rajeh
27. Mohammad Eliyan 28. Ayman Tanina
LAW has also confirmed that the following students are in detention,
29. Aha Jarradat 30. Tarik Shadeed 31. Ieteraf Hajaj 32. Faris Arrori 33. Samir Hreesh
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received from LAW, Lo’ai Bayatneh, 20, states that PSS agents in Birzeit had beaten him and was forced to stand in a very uncomfortable position for 6 hours at the Jericho detention centre. Another detainee Dia’ O’of, 21, was also forced to stand in a very uncomfortable position from 11:00am on Saturday 26th February until the following morning. Tareq Arrar, 22, who suffers from back pains due to fractures in the lower part of the spinal chord and had earlier sustained rubber bullet injuries by the Israeli forces during clashes in 1996, was interrogated several times and was also forced into an uncomfortable position for three hours. Ibrahim Asabe’, 22, was also forced into an uncomfortable position from 12:00pm Saturday 26th February until 12:00am the following day. Asid Ashanti, 23, was severely beaten in Birzeit village by a PSS interrogator identified as Hasan Asfour. Officials of the Preventative Security Services (PSS) have reportedly rejected claims that the students had been forced to stand in uncomfortable positions.
Iyad Amra, 26, from Al Jalazone, and I’tiraf Arimawi, 22, from Beit Rima, are also in detention.
Furthermore, according to the affidavits gathered by LAW’s lawyers from the released students, fellow students had been exposed to beatings. Hani Al Barghouti, 21, from Beit Rima stated that a friend’s legs were swollen as a result of beating incurred by the General Intelligence Agency (GIA) at Jericho. Moreover, another detainee, Rani Al Barghouti, was forced to stand for an hour and a half on one leg, whenever he tried to sit down, he was beaten and his beard was pulled. According to the information received, Abu Kharsh, 21, stated that he had been arrested was pressured during his interrogation to list the names of other students involved in the Birzeit events. In his affidavit, he added that he had been hooded for a long period of time and severely beaten. He was later released.
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.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Palestine urging them to:
i. End all torture and ill-treatment and 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 and other ill-treatment 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 6th 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Second follow-up to Case PAL 010300
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Palestine Autonomous Areas.
New Information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information, confirmed by the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), regarding the ill-treatment and torture sustained by the following students currently detained by Palestinian security forces. The following includes a list of students which are currently in detention, in addition to those mentioned in OMCT case PAL 010300.1 and PAL 010300.
According to the information received, the following students remain in general Security Interrogation Headquarters for the West Bank, Jericho.
1. Issam Arrar (had breathing difficulties, taken to hospital and returned, needs medicine) 2. Muhannad Abu Ghosh (beaten on first day of detention, bruised and swollen hand, face and ears- needs medical attention) 3. Ramy Fedayel (beaten on first day of detention) 4. Israr Ya’coub (beaten on first day of detention) 5. Haitham Hamatneh 6. Ead Mir’ib 7. Issam Al-Natsheh 8. Rami Salamin 9. Mahmoud Shreiteh 10. Raja’i Thaher 11. Mu’ath Samara 12. Naji Sidder 13. Mahdi Kharoub 14. Shadi Ka’abni 15. Firas Barghouthi 16. Sari Orabi Taha 17. Anas Rayan 18. Haytham Haj Hassan
According to further information, of the following students detained in Preventative Security, Jericho, the first seven students were visited by lawyers on 2 March 2000. They were placed in Shabeh (position abuse) on the first day of their detention only, one for a period of 10 hours. They appeared in good condition during the visit.
19. Ead Riyahi 20. Ibrahim Sabe 21. Dia Zaki Salameh 22. Usayd Al Shanti (beaten on first day of detention) 23. Khader Adnan Musa ‘Arabbi (shabeh, isolated from rest, lawyer visit denied)
The following students are said to be detained at Preventive Security, Nablus (Jneid Prison), 24. Samer Fakhri Said 25. Jibril Fihmi Mohammad Hijeh
Finally, these students are said to be detained at Preventive Security, Bethlehem. 26. Baha Rajeh
27. Mohammad Eliyan 28. Ayman Tanina
LAW has also confirmed that the following students are in detention,
29. Aha Jarradat 30. Tarik Shadeed 31. Ieteraf Hajaj 32. Faris Arrori 33. Samir Hreesh
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received from LAW, Lo’ai Bayatneh, 20, states that PSS agents in Birzeit had beaten him and was forced to stand in a very uncomfortable position for 6 hours at the Jericho detention centre. Another detainee Dia’ O’of, 21, was also forced to stand in a very uncomfortable position from 11:00am on Saturday 26th February until the following morning. Tareq Arrar, 22, who suffers from back pains due to fractures in the lower part of the spinal chord and had earlier sustained rubber bullet injuries by the Israeli forces during clashes in 1996, was interrogated several times and was also forced into an uncomfortable position for three hours. Ibrahim Asabe’, 22, was also forced into an uncomfortable position from 12:00pm Saturday 26th February until 12:00am the following day. Asid Ashanti, 23, was severely beaten in Birzeit village by a PSS interrogator identified as Hasan Asfour. Officials of the Preventative Security Services (PSS) have reportedly rejected claims that the students had been forced to stand in uncomfortable positions.
Iyad Amra, 26, from Al Jalazone, and I’tiraf Arimawi, 22, from Beit Rima, are also in detention.
Furthermore, according to the affidavits gathered by LAW’s lawyers from the released students, fellow students had been exposed to beatings. Hani Al Barghouti, 21, from Beit Rima stated that a friend’s legs were swollen as a result of beating incurred by the General Intelligence Agency (GIA) at Jericho. Moreover, another detainee, Rani Al Barghouti, was forced to stand for an hour and a half on one leg, whenever he tried to sit down, he was beaten and his beard was pulled. According to the information received, Abu Kharsh, 21, stated that he had been arrested was pressured during his interrogation to list the names of other students involved in the Birzeit events. In his affidavit, he added that he had been hooded for a long period of time and severely beaten. He was later released.
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.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Palestine urging them to:
i. End all torture and ill-treatment and 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 and other ill-treatment 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 6th 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.