Ref: 02/2010
Date: 06 January 2010
Time: 12:30 GMT
PCHR Condemns Measures Taken by
Security Services in Gaza against Fatah Activists
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights
(PCHR) condemns measures taken by the security services in Gaza against
activists of Fatah Movement in the Gaza Strip to prevent them from
commemorating the 45th anniversary of the establishment on
the movement on the 1st of January. Security services in
Gaza arrested dozens of activists of Fatah movement during the last week
of December 2009. A number of detainees were violently beaten and were
subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. Security services also
prevented private celebrations in closed places, took down flags of
Fatah Movement from houses and summoned a number of people who flamed
candles. The most serious of such violations was the death of Nazira
al-Swairki, from Gaza City, when she was being transported in a police
vehicle to a detention center.
According top investigations conducted by
PCHR:
On 30 December 2009, members of security
services wearing civilian clothes – some of whom were armed – stormed
the campus of al-Azhar University in Gaza City. They confiscated
kefiyehs (mufflers) and mobile phones from a number of students. Dr.
Riad al-'Eila, Dean of Students' Affairs, and Dr. Jaber al-Da'our,
Deputy President of the University, intervened to in an attempt to
persuade security officers to such attacks, but the security officers
moved towards the campus of female students to storm it. When Dr. al-'Eila
intervened again, a security officer insulted and slapped him on the
face.
On 31 December 2009, an activist of Fatah
Movemnt was arrested,
beaten and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. After he had
been released, he stated to PCHR that:
"On 31 December 2009, the police arrived
at my home and arrested me accusing me of possession of flags of Fatah
Movement. They took me to a police station in al-Shati refugee camp.
When I arrived there, they covered my head, and a police officer hit me
on my head. When I resisted him, many police officers kicked me and
violently beat me using sticks and gun butts until I fainted. I woke up
when they sprinkled cold water over my body. They then took me to an
interrogation room, where they ordered me to take off my upper clothes.
They questioned me about the possession of flags of Fatah Movement.
They violently beat me on the feet and thighs. The interrogation and
beating lasted for an hour, after which they tied me and beat me again.
At midnight, they took me to al-Nazara (a fenced space area that is used
as a detention place). They detained me there naked although the
weather was so cold. On the following day, I was subjected to several
rounds of interrogation about the same issue. The interrogation
continued until midnight, after which they forced me to sign a pledge
not to participate in activities of Fatah Movement, to comply to
decisions of the government in Gaza and to abstain from violating order,
otherwise I would pay a fine of 3,000 NIS. They then released me."
On 01 January 2010, Nazira Jaddou' al-Swairki,
56, from al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, died when the Palestinian
police arrested and beat her and two of her sons. 'Aamer al-Swairki,
the victim's son who was detained with her, stated to PCHR that his
mother suffered from suffocation and wanted him and his brother
Mohammed, who were with her in a police vehicle, to take her to the
hospital, but the police officers did not respond to her appeals and
continued to drive to al-Tufah Police Station. She began to lose
consciousness. Then the policemen took her to al-Shifa Hospital in the
jeep. Her condition continued to deteriorate until she died before
arriving at the hospital.
On 02 January 2010, the police investigation
bureau summoned a number of students from Hayel 'Abdul Hamid Secondary
School
in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip. The students, aged 16,
were interrogated about the distribution of a statement of Fatah
Movement at school. During the interrogation, they were violently
beaten. One of the students sustained a fracture to the right hand and
bruises throughout the body, and another one sustained bruises
throughout the body.
On 04 January 2010, the Union of Palestinian
Women organized a celebration to commemorate the launching of the
Palestinian revolution in al-Sammak restaurant at Gaza beach. Four
members of the Internal Security Services wearing civilian clothes
entered the restaurant and called for stopping the celebration, but the
women refused. The security officers remained inside the restaurant
until the end of the celebration. They then arrested the director of
the restaurant, Mo'in Abu al-Khair. He was taken to Ansar security
compound, where he questioned about hosting the celebration. They
released him in the evening after confiscating his identity card and
mobile phone. They also forced him to sign a pledge not to host
celebrations in his restaurant without permission of competent
authorities.
On 03 January 2010, the spokesman of the
Ministry of Interior, Eihab al-Ghussain, stated that the Ministry did
not prevent any local activities in the Gaza Strip related to the 45th
anniversary of the establishment of Fatah Movement.
In light of the above:
1)
PCHR condemns
measures attacks by security services to prevent any activities or
celebration for the anniversary of the establishment of Fatah Movement
and calls for holding those who were responsible for such measures and
attacks accountable.
2)
PCHR stresses
the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to peaceful
assembly are ensured under the Palestinian Basic Law and international
human rights instruments.
3)
PCHR
stresses that torture is prohibited under Palestinian law, constitutes a
jus cogens (pre-emptory) norm of international law, and
constitutes a serious violation of international human rights
instruments, particularly the Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 2009. There is not statute of
limitations for the crime of torture.
4)
PCHR calls
upon the government and security services in Gaza to stop such measures
and attacks and to ensure their non-recurrence.
