Israel/OPT
08.03.02
Urgent Interventions
'Press Release - Israel: Israeli Forces besiege prominent Palestinian Human Rights Defender’s home
PRESS RELEASE
Geneva, March 8th, 2002
Israeli Forces besiege prominent Palestinian Human Rights Defender’s home
The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), which coordinates the world’s largest network of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) fighting against torture, strongly condemns the Israeli Security Forces’ harassment and interrogation of Khader Shkirat, the General Director of the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights (LAW), a member of OMCT’s network.
According to the information received from LAW, at around 6:15 pm on March 7th, 2002, an estimated 150 members of Israeli Security Forces, including members of a special Israeli intelligence unit, Border Police and Army troops, sealed off Jabel Mukaber, a Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, and, using large and heavily armed armoured vehicles, placed the residents under a military curfew and surrounded Khader Shkirat’s house. Mr. Shkirat had reportedly returned to his home around one hour prior to these events, having been recalled by LAW to East Jerusalem from a sabbatical at Harvard University, due to the recent deterioration of the situation in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
Following threats proffered by Israeli intelligence officers against Mr. Shkirat calling for him to deliver a fugitive that they claimed was hiding in his house, or to evacuate his family so they could bomb his house, Mr. Shkirat finally gave himself up, leaving his family – who were under threat of Israeli unit assaults - in the house, and was taken to be interrogated at Jabel Mukaber’s Israeli Police Station. During this interrogation, the Israeli forces claim that they found a fugitive hiding in the basement of the house, although none the members of Palestinian and Israeli human rights NGOs and representatives of diplomatic consulates present at the scene witnessed the presence of the alleged fugitive. Israeli Forces reportedly often use the excuse of searching for a fugitive to justify destroying Palestinian houses.
Mr. Shkirat was then returned to his home, at which point Israeli Forces entered his house and conducted searches using police dogs, reportedly terrorising his family. Following this, Mr. Shkirat and his brother, who were accompanied by Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel, were again taken for questioning, but were released again some time later. The Israeli Forces finally withdrew from Jabel Mukaber at around 10:30 pm. It is believed that, had it not been for the presence of officials at the scene, notably from European Union consulates, the Israeli Forces may have destroyed Mr. Shkirat’s house at this time.
According to reports, around one and a half hours after these representatives had also left the area, Israeli Forces returned to the area and again surrounded Mr. Shkirat’s house, preventing anyone from entering. Given that they claimed to already have found the alleged fugitive, it is impossible to justify these acts. They reportedly left the scene again during the early hours of the morning.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about these incidents, which are symbolic of the deterioration of the situation in Israel and the Occupied Territories in the last few days. OMCT condemns Israel’s use of harassment, interrogation and the threats of the destruction of Mr. Shkirat’s house, in what appears to be a blatant attempt to put pressure on him in order to undermine his ability to carry out his vital human rights activities. OMCT fears that Mr. Shkirat and his family may again be subjected to threats and intimidation tactics at the hands of the Israeli Security Forces, and that their house may even be destroyed, which would be in blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel continues to show contempt for international humanitarian and human rights standards, exemplified by its increasing use of force in the cycle of violence that has been spiralling to new heights in recent days.
OMCT Contact: Nathalie Mivelaz or Michael Anthony, +41 22 809 49 39
Geneva, March 8th, 2002
Israeli Forces besiege prominent Palestinian Human Rights Defender’s home
The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), which coordinates the world’s largest network of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) fighting against torture, strongly condemns the Israeli Security Forces’ harassment and interrogation of Khader Shkirat, the General Director of the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights (LAW), a member of OMCT’s network.
According to the information received from LAW, at around 6:15 pm on March 7th, 2002, an estimated 150 members of Israeli Security Forces, including members of a special Israeli intelligence unit, Border Police and Army troops, sealed off Jabel Mukaber, a Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, and, using large and heavily armed armoured vehicles, placed the residents under a military curfew and surrounded Khader Shkirat’s house. Mr. Shkirat had reportedly returned to his home around one hour prior to these events, having been recalled by LAW to East Jerusalem from a sabbatical at Harvard University, due to the recent deterioration of the situation in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
Following threats proffered by Israeli intelligence officers against Mr. Shkirat calling for him to deliver a fugitive that they claimed was hiding in his house, or to evacuate his family so they could bomb his house, Mr. Shkirat finally gave himself up, leaving his family – who were under threat of Israeli unit assaults - in the house, and was taken to be interrogated at Jabel Mukaber’s Israeli Police Station. During this interrogation, the Israeli forces claim that they found a fugitive hiding in the basement of the house, although none the members of Palestinian and Israeli human rights NGOs and representatives of diplomatic consulates present at the scene witnessed the presence of the alleged fugitive. Israeli Forces reportedly often use the excuse of searching for a fugitive to justify destroying Palestinian houses.
Mr. Shkirat was then returned to his home, at which point Israeli Forces entered his house and conducted searches using police dogs, reportedly terrorising his family. Following this, Mr. Shkirat and his brother, who were accompanied by Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel, were again taken for questioning, but were released again some time later. The Israeli Forces finally withdrew from Jabel Mukaber at around 10:30 pm. It is believed that, had it not been for the presence of officials at the scene, notably from European Union consulates, the Israeli Forces may have destroyed Mr. Shkirat’s house at this time.
According to reports, around one and a half hours after these representatives had also left the area, Israeli Forces returned to the area and again surrounded Mr. Shkirat’s house, preventing anyone from entering. Given that they claimed to already have found the alleged fugitive, it is impossible to justify these acts. They reportedly left the scene again during the early hours of the morning.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about these incidents, which are symbolic of the deterioration of the situation in Israel and the Occupied Territories in the last few days. OMCT condemns Israel’s use of harassment, interrogation and the threats of the destruction of Mr. Shkirat’s house, in what appears to be a blatant attempt to put pressure on him in order to undermine his ability to carry out his vital human rights activities. OMCT fears that Mr. Shkirat and his family may again be subjected to threats and intimidation tactics at the hands of the Israeli Security Forces, and that their house may even be destroyed, which would be in blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel continues to show contempt for international humanitarian and human rights standards, exemplified by its increasing use of force in the cycle of violence that has been spiralling to new heights in recent days.
OMCT Contact: Nathalie Mivelaz or Michael Anthony, +41 22 809 49 39