PCHR Condemns Assault against PLC Member in Nablus

Palestinian Center for Human Rights. 18/07/07. PCHR strongly condemns an assault by the Palestinian police and activists of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an armed wing of Fatah movement) on Wednesday afternoon against Ahmed al-Haj ‘Ali, 60, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) representing the Change and Reform Bloc affiliated to Hamas. He was verbally insulted and then taken to a police station in the city, when he was participating in a demonstration organized by dozens of women in front of the police station in protest to political arrests of a number of members of Hamas. PCHR calls for investigating this assault and taking legal actions against its perpetrators.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 11:30 on Wednesday, 18 July 2007, at least 150 Palestinian women gathered in front of a Palestinian police station in Faisal Street in Nablus to demonstrate against the detention of a number of members of Hamas. The women raised signboards opposing political arrests. The Palestinian police prevented journalists from covering the demonstration. A police officer threatened Nasser Eshtayeh, a cameraman of Associated Press, to destroy his camera of he photographed the demonstration. At approximately 11:40, Lieutenant Colonel Eyad Eshtayeh, Chief of the Police Investigation Bureau in Nablus, arrived at the area. Eshtayeh and other journalists had a conversation with him, after which they were allowed to photograph the demonstration. At approximately 12:05, two persons arrived at the area, including PLC Member Ahmed al-Haj ‘Ali, from ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp west of Nablus. As soon as al-Haji ‘Ali started to shout in front of cameras against political arrests and decrees issued by President Mahmous Abbas, at least 8 persons (3 policemen and 5 persons in civilian clothes) moved towards him and violently pulled him into a post office near the police station. While they were pulling him, his lariat fell onto the ground. Approximately 5 minutes later, 2 policemen and a number of persons in civilian clothes, who are known of their affiliation to al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, entered the post office. They insulted al-Haj ‘Ali and took him out of the office towards the police station.

It is worth noting that the Palestinian police had arrested al-Haj ‘Ali together with Ahmed Doula, 44, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior in the dismissed government, and Shaker ‘Amara, 46, a prominent leader of Hamas, on 2 July 2007 in Jericho. The three went to Jericho after having visited detained members of Hamas at Jnaid Prison in Nablsu to hold a meeting with commanders of security services. Al-‘Ahaj ‘Ali and ‘Amara were released an hour later, but Doula has remained in custody.

These practices have come in the context of an arrest campaign waged by Palestinian security services against activists of Hamas in the West Bank. The latest of such arrests targeted Jamal ‘Abdul Fattah Sawi, 40, Head of the Union of Palestinian Teachers in Tulkarm, who was arrested by the Preventive Security Service on Tuesday morning, 17 July 2007.

PCHR strongly condemns this assault against PLC Member al-Haj ‘Ali, and:

1) Calls for investigating the circumstances of the assault and taking legal action against its perpetrators.

2) Emphasizes the impunity enjoyed by PLC members according to the Palestinian Basic Law, which prohibits any attack against them.

3) Expresses deep concerns over the arrest campaign waged by Palestinian security services against activists of Hamas in West Bank and calls for ensuring that all arrests are conducted in accordance with the law.

4) Stresses that the right to peaceful assembly is ensured by the Palestinian Basic Law and the Law on Public Meetings #12 of 1998.