Ref: 41/2008

Date: 07 May 2008

Time: 08:00 GMT 

PCHR Calls for Investigating Arbitrary Arrests and Torture by Security Forces in the West Bank

PCHR strongly condemns the continuation of arbitrary arrests and torture of prisoners by Palestinian security forces in the West Bank. The Centre continues to monitor human rights violations by these security services; and fieldworkers are finding it difficult to convince victims of providing testimonies; or they are asking for their identities to be withheld. In light of this, the Centre fears that these victims are threatened by security forces if human rights organizations publish the violations they were subjected to.  The Centre renews the call to President Mahmoud Abbas and the government in Ramallah to put an end to these illegal actions, and to prosecute the perpetrators.

On Tuesday, 6 May 2008, PCHR’s fieldworkers documented two statements. One was pertaining to the arrest without warrant of a Palestinian from Qalqilya by the Preventive Security Apparatus, subjecting him to torture, transporting him to the hospital, and re-arresting him. The second statement was pertaining to the raid on the house of the Nablus Municipality Council member Kholoud El-Masri, arrest of her son Ammar El-Masri (42), and confiscation of some belongings without arrest or search warrants.

The father of the detainee from Qalqilya stated, “At approximately 16:30 on Thursday, 1 May 2008, four members of the Preventive Security Apparatus arrived at my son’s house. They detained him without showing an arrest warrant. They took him to the Preventive Security Compound in Qalqilya. We tried to visit him, but were banned. On 6 May, we learned that he was transferred to the Emergency Hospital in Qalqilya. I went to visit him immediately. I met him there at approximately 10:00. He told me that he fainted; and that he was subjected to beating and to Shabeh (standing in painful positions for a long time) by Preventive Security operatives. He fainted due to low glucose levels in blood; and was taken to the hospital. I saw the signs of torture on my son’s body and hands. The hospital administration informed me that my son was suffering from tears in him muscles and low glucose levels. At approximately 11:00, my son was taken back to the Preventive Security Compound.”

Kholoud Rashad Riziq El-Masri, the Nablus Municipality Council member, stated, “At approximately 23:00 on Saturday, 3 May, the door bell rang in our apartment on the 4^th floor of Amin Riziq El-Masri Building. I opened the door and saw about 15 security officers, 2 of them in civilian clothes. All were armed; and they stated that they were from the Preventive Security Apparatus. The asked about my husband, Ammar Amin Riziq El-Masri (42), and asked to search the house. The officer in charge checked my husband’s ID card, and then started searching the house. When I tried to objecting to the destruction of a makeshift divider in the living room, they refused and continued to destroy it with the gun butts. Before leaving at approximately 00:00, they confiscated 7 mobile phones, a computer, a large sony camera and its tripod, and some private video’s and cd’s. They also confiscated some checkbooks and bills belonging to my husband, who is a merchant. They also confiscated some of my papers and letters relevant to my work in the municipality. Then they took my husband without showing an arrest warrant.”

In light of the above, PCHR:

-        Reiterates strong condemnation of these arrests and accompanying crimes of torture; and calls for an immediate investigation, prosecuting the perpetrators, and for taking steps to prevent their recurrence.

-        Reminds that torture is outlawed by Palestinian Law, and is a serious human rights violation under international treaties, especially the UN Convention against Torture and other forms of Cruel, Inhumane, or Degrading Treatment (1984); and stresses that torture crimes do not fall by seniority, and perpetrators will not escape justice.

-        Points with concern to the recurrence of cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment of prisoners and their families by security forces.

-        Affirms that all forms of detention under the Palestinian Law are the mandate of law-enforcement agencies represented by the civilian police, working under instruction and supervision of the Attorney-General.