Ref: 96/2009
Date: 11 August 2009
Time: 09:30 GMT
PCHR Condemns Harassment of
Palestinian Civilians at Military Checkpoints
The
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the
harassment and cruel and degrading treatment inflicted upon Palestinian
civilians by Israeli troops positioned at military checkpoint throughout
the West Bank.
PCHR field
workers documents three cases of harassment against Palestinian
civilians in the first three days of the week.
·
At
approximately 22:00 on Saturday, 08 August 2009, Israeli soldiers
harassed Tha'er Bader Jaradat, 20, from Sa'ir village northwest Hebron.
They attacked him near the Annexation Wall in al-Ram town, north of
Jerusalem. He sustained fractures to the legs.
According to investigations conducted by
PCHR and the victim's testimony, at approximately 22:00 on Saturday, 08
August 2009, Israeli soldiers forced him to jump from a height of 4.5
meters, when they caught him and other civilians attempting to climb the
Annexation Wall in al-Ram town. He fell onto the ground, and sustained
two fractures to the left leg and one fracture to the right heel. Soon
after, Israeli soldiers gathered around him and attempted to force him
to stand up and accompany them to a military vehicle. They also
released a bloodhound to attack him in order to force him to stand up.
When all of these attempts failed, they forced him to creep towards the
military vehicle, which was approximately 15 meters away. They
handcuffed him and transferred him to the Hamashbir area to the
northwest of al-Ram town. Jaradat attempted to go to Jerusalem in order
to work in a boutique.
·
On Sunday
morning, 09 August 2009, Israeli soldiers positioned at a military
crossing established on al-Zahiriya – Bir al-Saba' road, south of
Hebron, harassed Mohammed 'Abdul Hai 'Asafra, 26, from Beit Kahel
village northwest of Hebron. They forced him to stop while he was his
way to work in a workshop in the area. The detained and violently beat
him for more than two hours. He sustained bruises throughout the body.
·
At
approximately 11:30 on Monday, 10 August 2009, Israeli soldiers
patrolling in al-Sahla and Tariq Ben Ziad streets in the south of the
old town of Hebron stopped Saleh Mohammed al-Rajabi, 20. They detained
and violently beat him for nearly an hour. He sustained bruises
throughout the body.
In light of the above:
1.
PCHR asserts
that acts of harassment are a form of torture and cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment, and constitute serious violations of international
human rights standards and instruments, especially the Convention
against Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment of 1984.
2.
PCHR calls
upon the international community to exert pressure on Israel to
dismantle military checkpoints and stop acts of harassment and other
violations of human rights and international humanitarian law against
Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
