Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. 17/07/07
PCHR has received more information and testimonies regarding scores of people who were subjected to torture, beating and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment during detention and interrogation by the Executive Forces. PCHR condemns such illegal practices and calls for stopping them, brining their perpetrators to justice, and complying with legal procedures related to arrests and detentions.
In the past days, PCHR continued to investigate the incidents that took place in Beit Hanoun and Khan Yunis towns on Thursday, 12 July 2007. During those incidents, 34 persons, most of them are members of Fatah movement and security services, were arrested. These persons stated in their testimonies to PCHR that they were subjected to torture, beating and various forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. PCHR’s field workers reported that signs of torture were seen on bodies of those persons, and PCHR has photographs showing such signs. Such practices violate the Palestinian law, which prohibits torture, and relevant international human rights instruments, particularly the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984.
Incidents in Beit Hanoun on 12 July 2007
At approximately 16:30 on Thursday, 12 July 2007, clashes erupted between a number of people and at least 20 members of the Executive Force who attempted to arrest a person once he exited a mosque in the town. Members of the Executive Force fired into the air and beat some of the protestors. Soon after, reinforcements from the Executive Force arrived at the area. The clashes lasted for nearly two hours, during which time the Executive Force arrested 14 persons from the area of clashes or during house raids.
Those persons remained in custody until Saturday evening, 14 July 2007, when they were released after a number of public figures in Beit Hanoun had intervened and pledged not to disturb members of the Executive Force while carrying out their jobs.
According to PCHR’s investigation and the released detainees’ testimonies, they were detained in 4 detention centers of the Executive Force in the northern Gaza Strip. During their detention, they were subjected to torture and beating. PCHR’s field workers reported that they saw clear signs of tortures on the detainees’ bodies, especially on the legs, the back and the shoulders. A number of the detainees also complaints that they were treated based on reckoning, especially as all detainees are members of Fatah movement, and a number of them are members of security services.
One of the detainees was Sameer Mahmoud Hamad, 37, an officer of the Preventive Security Service, was arrested by the Executive Force that raided his house near al-Farouq Mosque in Beit Hanoun at approximately 18:30 on Thursday, 12 July 2007. He was detained at Jabalya police station. He told PCHR that he was violently beaten using hands, feet and iron wires, while his hands were tied behind his back with wires.
Another detainee was Mohammed Fayez Qassem, 29, an officer of the Preventive Security Service. He was arrested by the Executive Force that raided his house during the clashes. He told PCHR that he was violently beaten all over his body while he was detained at Jabalya police station.
A third detainee was Hani Khalil Qassem, 33, a police officer. He was summoned by the Executive Force to Jabalya police station on Thursday evening, 12 July 2007. There, he was violently beaten, especially on the legs and the feet.
Incidents in Khan Yunis on 12 July 2007
PCHR had already published incidents related to a demonstration that was organized in Khan Yunis on Thursday afternoon, 12 July 2007, which was called for by factions of Palestine Liberation Organization calling for dialogues and condemning military showdown (see PCHR’s press release on 15 July 2007). At night, members of the Executive Force raided houses belonging to members of Fatah movement and security services and arrested 20 persons. In the past days, PCHR continued to investigate these incidents and collate more testimonies from the released detainees, which indicated that a number of detainees were subjected to beating, torture and various forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
On of the detainees was Mazen ‘Abdullah Shaheen, 41, a member of the Public Security Service. He was arrested from his house at approximately 23:30 on Thursday, 12 July 2007. He was taken to a site of the Executive Force in the west of Khan Yunis, where he stayed in custody until Friday evening, 13 July 2007. In his testimony, Shaheen told PCHR that his hands were tied behind his back. A member of the Executive Force then shaved a part of his moustache and cut parts of his hair and beard. During interrogation, Shaheen was beaten with hands and a hose. He was even forced to stand in the middle of tires put onto one another with his head covered with a blanket.
Another detainee was Ma’moun Suleiman Wadi, 41, a member of the General Intelligence Service. The Executive Force raided his house and arrested him at approximately 00:30 on Friday, 13 July 2007. He was taken to a site of the Executive Force in Bani Suhaila village, east of Khan Yunis, and then to a police station in the village. He was detained there until Sunday afternoon, 15 July 2007. He told PCHR that he was violently beaten and cold water was poured onto his body while he was blindfolded.
A third detainee was Rafeeq Mohammed Shahwan, 45, a member of the General Intelligence Service. The Executive Force raided his house and arrested him at approximately 21:00 on Thursday, 12 July 2007. He was taken to site of the Executive Force in Bani Suhaila village, where he was detained until Friday evening, 15 July 2007. He told PCHR that he was blindfolded, handcuffed and violently beaten. He lost consciousness as a result of beating.
A fourth detainee was Mursi ‘Abdullah Barbakh, 32. He was summoned to a site of the Executive Force at Bani Suhaila intersection, east of Khan Yunis. He went there at approximately 01:00 on Friday, 13 July 2007. He was then taken to a site of the Executive Force in the west of Khan Yunis. He was detained until Friday evening. He told PCHR that he was blindfolded, handcuffed and violently beaten on the back. He was moved from one site to another. In one of those sites, he was sat on a chair with his legs put on another chair and sacs of sands were put on his thighs, while he was beaten on the feet. He was then forced to jump on his feet and was violently beaten all over the body.
A fifth detainee was Sa’id Suleiman Shubair, 21, a member of the Preventive Security Service. He was arrested from his house on Friday morning, 13 July 2007. He was taken to a site of the Executive Force, where he was violently beaten throughout the body using hoses and staves. When he was released, he went to Nasser Hospital, where doctors told him that there were fractures to the chest and the right leg.
In light of the above:
1) PCHR strongly condemns such practices and calls for initiating an immediate investigation, bringing those who were involved in them to justice and taking necessary measures to ensure their non-recurrence.
2) PCHR reminds that torture is prohibited under the Palestinian law, and constitutes a grave breach of international human rights instruments, particularly the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984.
3) Stresses that arrests and detentions are regulated by the Palestinian law and fall under the mandate of judicial warranty officials, including the police, under the Attorney-General’s supervision.
Public Document
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