The following is an ARTICLE 19 letter to President Arafat, expressing its concern over the threat to freedom of expression in Palestine posed by a number of continuing detentions without charge: His Excellency Yasser Arafat President Palestinian National Authority Gaza City, Gaza By fax: +972 7 823 744 Your Excellency ARTICLE 19 is extremely disturbed […]
The following is an ARTICLE 19 letter to President Arafat, expressing its concern over the threat to freedom of expression in Palestine posed by a number of continuing detentions without charge:
His Excellency Yasser Arafat
President
Palestinian National Authority
Gaza City, Gaza
By fax: +972 7 823 744
Your Excellency
ARTICLE 19 is extremely disturbed by the threat to freedom of expression in Palestine posed by the authorities’ continuing detention without charge of a number of people who criticised the conduct of officials and questioned the progress of peace and development in the Palestinian Authority in a statement issued on 27 November 1999.
We also wish to draw your attention to the brutal assault by seven members of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces on Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member Abdel Jawad Saleh, a man of 70 years, after he exercised his right to peaceful protest outside the General Intelligence Detention Centre in Jericho on 16 December. We urge you publicly to distance the Palestinian Authority from this assault and to ensure that the seven officials concerned are arrested and brought to justice.
We understand that in connection with the petition, on 28 and 29 November 1999 various representatives of the Palestinian security apparatus, including the Criminal Police Unit and the Palestinian Intelligence Forces, arrested and imposed house arrest on a total of eleven people in different cities, including politicians, academics and writers.
The eight arrested who remain in detention are as follows:
In Nablus prison:
Physicians Dr. Abdul Rahim Kitani, Dr. Afif Sulaiman al-Judeh, and Dr. Yasser Abu Safiyeh; Dr Abdel Shaker Doodeen, a retired teacher; and Adnan Odeh, researcher at the Palestinian Parliamentary Research Unit.
At the General Intelligence detention facility in Jericho:
Ahmad Qatamish, Member of the Political Bureau of the PFLP; Dr. Abdulsattar Qasim, Professor at Al-Najah University; and Dr. Adel Samar, an economic researcher.
We also understand that Ismat Shakhshir was ordered to report for questioning by the Palestinian Intelligence Forces in Nablus on 28 November. She was released on bail after questioning in order to report on a second day for further interrogation and was then held on 29 November. Members of the Palestinian Intelligence Forces raided Dr. Abdel Sitar Qasem’s house last evening and searched and confiscated documents and papers. Furthermore, Bassam Shaka’a, former mayor of Nablus and Waheed Alhamdallah, former mayor of Anabta, were ordered under house arrest beginning November 28th, 1999, by PA Brig. General Ghazi al-Jabali.
Since 28 November, a number of other signatories to the statement or their supporters have been attacked by unidentified people:
a.. On 1 December, PLC member Mu’awwiya Al-Masri, one of the signatories was attacked by three armed, masked persons, one of whom shot him in the foot. Three people are reported to have been arrested in connection with the attack.
b.. Hanan El Masu, co-ordinator of the Human Rights Action Programme of Bir Zeit University assisted in an appeal calling for the release of those detained. On the night of 10 December, she was attacked at her home, being knocked unconscious by a stone.
ARTICLE 19 finds that the action taken against the people described above is a violation of their right to freedom of expression, guaranteed under Article 19 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, to which the PNA has formally acceded.
We urge you to intervene immediately to ensure that those detained in connection with the statement are released at once and unconditionally, and that their fundamental right to freedom of expression is assured and fully respected in future. We also urge you to ensure that the other violent attacks mentioned against critics of the authorities are investigated thoroughly and that those responsible are brought to justice. We also ask that investigations into the other attacks described are launched without delay, in order that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Puddephatt
Executive Director
Recommended Action
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His Excellency Yasser Arafat
President
Palestinian National Authority
Gaza City, Gaza
Fax: +972 7 823 744
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