Ref: 26/2009

Date: 10 February 2009

Time: 13:00 GMT  

 

PCHR Demands Investigations into Violent Deaths of Two Civilians in Gaza

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) demands immediate investigations into the deaths of Nehad Sa’adi al-Dabbaka, 47, from the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, who died whilst in police detention, and ‘Ata Yousef Abdul Wahhab al-Bur’i, 39, from the al-Shati refugee camp, who died after being severely beaten by gunmen claiming to be police officers. The Centre calls for the results of both investigations to be made public, and for the perpetrators of these crimes to be brought to justice according to the law.

According to investigations by PCHR, at approximately 23:00 on Friday, 6 February, masked gunmen arrested Nehad al-Dabbaka at his house in the al-Maghazi refugee camp. On the morning of Monday, 9 February, medical sources at the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah informed the al-Dabbaka family that Nehad’s body was in the hospital. Nehad’s brother, Majed al-Dabbaka, stated to PCHR that his brother’s body had been transferred to the Forensic Unit in al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, and that he and his family had seen the body, which bore clear signs of torture and beating on the feet, back, hands, ears and front of the torso.   

Medical sources from the Forensic Unit at al-Shifa Hospital spoke to a PCHR field worker, and confirmed that the body of Nehad al-Dabbaka bore clear signs of beating on the hands and feet as well as torture throughout the body. This clearly indicates that Nehad al-Dabbaka may have died as a result of having been beaten and tortured by members of the Palestinian police.

Regarding the death of ‘Ata al-Bur’i, PCHR spoke to the victim’s mother, Amina Hasan al-Bur’i, who told the Centre that at approximately 22:00 on Thursday, 8 January, gunmen dressed in civilian clothes arrested ‘Ata al-Bur’i at his home. The gunmen, who claimed to be Palestinian police officers, took al-Bur’i to a jeep waiting outside the house and drove away with him. Approximately 30 minutes later, al-Bur’i was dumped near his home, having been severely beaten. His family transferred him to al-Shifa Hospital, where he was admitted for four days. His mother told PCHR the family discharged their son because they were not satisfied with his treatment at hospital. However, ‘Ata al-Bur’i was re-admitted to the hospital on 18 January 2009, as his health had deteriorated. He died at al-Shifa Hospital on 7 February.

These two deaths make a total of four Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza who have died either whilst in police detention, or after being detained by persons claiming to be police officers during this week. On 6 February, Jamil Shafiq Shaqqoura, 51, from Khan Younis refugee camp, died of a stroke after he had been tortured and beaten by members of the Palestinian Internal Security Services. On 8 February, sources from the Palestinian Security Services announced the death of Mohammed Abdul Jamil al-Haj, 30, from Jalqamous, whilst he was being detained at the headquarters of the Palestinian Preventive Security (PPS) in Jenin City.

In light of these deaths, PCHR:

1. Demands the Government in Gaza launch serious investigations into the deaths of  Nehad Sa’adi al-Dabbaka, and ‘Ata Yousef Abdul Wahhab al-Bur’i, prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes, and bring them to justice according to the law.
2. Reiterates that torture is prohibited under the Palestinian Basic Law, and that it constitutes a gross violation of human rights, which are guaranteed by international standards and conventions, especially the (1984) Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.  
3. Asserts that arrests are regulated by Palestinian law and that they are the responsibility of law enforcement officers, represented by civilian police, who take orders directly from the Attorney General and are under his supervision.