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Disappearances:
One of the worst kinds of
mental pressures is disappearances, because they inflict pressure on the
disappeared and his family and friends as well. The destiny of the
disappeared becomes unknown, because no one knows if he is alive or dead.
If he is alive, then where is he, and how is he doing, and for how long is
he going to suffer?
Shafiq
Abd el-Wahab:
On 21 June,
1997, a man who identified himself as a member of the MI arrested Shafiq
Abd El-Wahab at his real estate office in Ramallah, ostensibly to take him
in for questioning at the MI headquarters in Ramallah. He gave his name as
“Hilmi.” Abd El-Wahab has not been seen since. Strong suspicions exist
that he was ‘disappeared’ by MI officers based in Ramallah.
The next day,
Shafiq’s wife Majidah, filed a complaint at the police station in Ramallah
demanding to learn where her husband was being held. She is employed in
her husband’s office, and was present during the arrest. A few days later,
she went to the MI headquarters to search for her husband again. She saw
the MI officer and called out to him: “where is my husband?” MI personnel
forced her to leave immediately. On 5 July, urgent requests were sent to
the Ramallah District Prosecutor, the Minister of Justice, the Chief of
Police, and President Arafat, demanding that Shafiq be located. The next
day, appeals were sent to the Military Prosecutor, the GI, and the
Ramallah Governor’s Office. On 7 July, the President’s office established
a special committee to look into the disappearance. Additional letters and
appeals were sent again, to officials in the security forces and local
prosecutors, demanding to find out where Shafiq was located. No answer to
any of these appeals has been received. The special committee has not
responded.
The PHRMG
believes that Shafiq was arrested and detained illegally by the MI.
Amnesty International released an urgent action appeal on Shafiq’s behalf,
calling on the PNA to release him or announce his whereabouts.
The official
and public silence of Shafiq’s case is particularly dangerous. Other
countries have a policy of ‘disappearing’ political activists, criminals,
and others. Public focus on this case is essential to either prove that
this is not what happened, or to put an end to this practice. There is no
official information on the reasons for the arrest. Shafiq is 53 years old
and father of five.
The PHRMG
presented an appeal to the High Court of Justice in case number 98/40, to
find out where Shafiq is held, or if there was an arrest warrant in his
name. The court hearings were postponed five times for different reasons.
The next hearing will be held on 16 December 1998, to release a verdict.
Tayseer
Zayyadeh:
Tayseer
Hmeidan Zayyadeh (38, married and father to five). His wife is from Ramla
and she has an Israeli ID. His first wife was from Deir al-Balah – Gaza.
Zayyadeh has not visited Gaza until he received the Israeli ID for fear of
being punished or arrested in the strip because he did not have a permit
to enter Israel. On 25 July 1997, he went to visit his sisters in Deir
al-Balah. In the evening, men dressed in civil arrived to the house and
introduced identified themselves to be from the MI. they asked Zayyadeh to
accompany them. Before he left, he told his sister that he would be back
shortly, but he never returned.
On 27 July
1997, his wife went to the Ramla police, where she was told that her
husband was not found.
Taxes:
Some
Palestinian Security Forces, together with one of the Public Prosecutor’s,
interfered in tax issues, particularly in Hebron. These forces arrested
tax evaders for long periods without presenting them before a court of
law. These tax evaders were tortured in the ugliest methods. They were
forced to pay large sums of money millions of NIS, in cash and checks. The
checks were entered in anonymous bank accounts. The evaders were not even
given receipts proving that they paid the sums of money. The money was
hidden and the authorities in charge (the tax authorities) did not have
the slightest idea about its whereabouts.
It is
important to mention that the tax cases are all about the Value Added Tax,
and invoices. 95% of the evaders were arrested on the background of
forging VAT invoices.
For more
information on the issue, go back to the PHRMG report number 8 on
taxes released in September 1998: “Why is the Role of the Tax Authorities
Absent.”
From the PHRMG
Mailbox
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To the
Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group
National
Greetings:
We, who
work to provide security for the Palestinian people and protect them,
are proud to have found someone who shares our duties. The Monitor is
a wonderful magazine in every sense of the word, in terms of its
content and style. It plays a big role in promoting democracy in
Palestine.
I support
your views with regards to the Palestinian legislative system. I like
the way you present cases, the way you defend the fact that all
detainees need to be presented before a court of law, that detainees
should not be tortured, etc.
There are
people guilty of committing all these crimes against the Palestinian
people, but because of their high positions, or their background, or
their connections, they are not punished for what they do. They are
committing the ugliest crimes not only against one individual but also
against the Palestinian population at large. They are committing a
crime against Palestine. Of course, these people will never be tried.
Where is the law? And where is the judicial system?
I am a
soldier not a decision-maker. I walk in the path of revolutionaries.
I thank
you once more for your efforts and accomplishments. Away with
corruption, and may justice be achieved. |
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To the
Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group.
Greetings,
I wanted
to thank you for your efforts in protecting Palestinian human rights
by revealing the truth to the people through your wonderful and most
effective publication, the Monitor.
What made
me even happier was the coupon on the back of the Monitor. I
photocopied it! However, I regret to inform you that I am unable to
make a donation to the PHRMG because I am a university student
at the college of sciences in al0Quds university. I am sure that you
are aware of the students’ financial status under the terrible
economic circumstances. I am anxiously waiting for your next issue. |
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To all
those in search of the truth
To the
Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, its research and editing
crew.
To all
those working on publishing the Monitor.
Greetings,
I would
like to thank you for elaborating on the violations committed by the
PNA against Palestinian detainees, from torture and violations of
human rights. We remember when five years ago, our bones were broken,
our heads were blown away from rubber bullets released from Israeli
rifles. Five years have passed since the PNA took over, and the
Palestinian people are still calling for their right to live.
I would
like you to take one question into consideration, and reply to it in
your next issue of the Monitor, if possible. I am against violence,
and never in my life did I support it no matter the circumstances.
What is the alternative method to be used by any security force in the
world to interrogate a murder case, collaboration, theft, or any other
crime? From another angle, why does not the PHRMG take the
violations committed by some individuals from the security services
who take bribes from people to establish connections for them. These
are issues lived and experienced by the Palestinian citizen daily and
they should have a corner in the Monitor.
I want to
approach Mr. Bassem Eid, the general director, and his enthusiasm in
protecting human rights, and ask him what about the Israeli
violations? I wish that the violations committed by Israelis against
Palestinians would be an issue handled by the PHRMG on a
broader scale. I remember when five years ago, Mr. Eid spoke of
Israeli violations. I always admired your courage and guts in your
job. I am grateful that there are still men out there who fight to
protect Palestinians.
Full
speed ahead Mr. Eid and full speed ahead with your Monitor.
Wishing
you the best of luck. |
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Greetings
Mr. Bassem Eid,
I would
like to express my respect for you and your organization. I am very
proud of your work and efforts. I admire your courage and
accomplishments.
I am
involved with youth projects, and I work with cultural activities in
Deir al-Balah. You visited our home in January 1993, after Israelis
bulldozed it. At the time of your visit however, I was in prison. I
wanted to meet you. My parents speak highly of you all the time.
Right
now, I am working on preparing an intensive course in human rights,
together with some representatives from the Legislative Council from
our area, and Gaza Center for Law and Rights.
Once
more, I thank you for your efforts, your activism, and your courage. |
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Members
of the Monitor,
While
flipping the pages of the Monitor, I was very hurt by the pain and
suffering and torture that the Palestinian people go through. I am
happy to hear that there is still a chance for people to complain
about what they go through from oppression.
I support
you to the end in restoring the rights of the people and may the
oppressed be the winners one day. Let us build our Palestine together
as a people and fight all the difficulties and obstacles in our way.
I call
upon all persons from the PNA to support the concept of the Monitor
and cooperate in keeping track of cases.
I hope
that the Monitor would one day achieve its goals.
I greet
you from the south of Palestine.
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Letter of
Congratulations
To: The Palestinian
National Authority
From: The Ministry
of Interior
Date: 29 March, 1998
Mr. Adnan Abu
Njeileh
Secretary of the
Palestinian Popular Force Party
Greetings.
The Ministry
of Interior would like to congratulate you and your brothers for winning
the position of your party in the Central Committee, during the elections
that took place under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior on
Friday, 27/3/1998.
The Ministry
would like to wish you the best of luck in continuing your struggle to
build a Palestinian society to serve the nation and its citizens.
The following
list of names was adopted by the Ministry. The latter considers this list
as the temporary leadership for the Palestinian Public Force Party:
1. Adnan
Muhammad Abu Njeileh: General Secretary
2. Yousef
Sai’id al-Za’anin: Secretary Representative
3. Muhammad
Ahmad Madi: Member
4. Hammad
Sweilem Abu Jkheideb: Member
5. Abdul
Karim Attiyyeh al-Zuq: Member
6. Ra’afat
Abdullah Abu Shawish: Member
7. Nafez
Mahmoud Sahwil: Member
8. Khader
Mahmoud Diab: Member
9. Tawfiq
Ahmad al-Beid: Member
10. Ahmad
Yousef Abu Libdeh: Member
11. Iyyad
Abdullatif Abu Sharkh: Member
12. Fayez
Khalil Al-Za’anin: Member
13. Mahmoud
Ahmad Madi: Member
Zakarria
Abdul Raheem
Assistant in
the Ministry of Interior
Cc: The
Representative of the Ministry
General
Director of Public Issues
Constitutional File
The Political
Department
Letter of Condolences
The
Palestinian National Authority
The Ministry of
Interior
A notice
from the Ministry of Interior with regards to the Palestinian Public Force
Party
The Ministry
of Interior has made the decision to continue to freeze all activities
conducted by the PPFP for the extra months starting from 24/9/98.
Those
addressed should cease all dealing with the PPFP during this period.
Signed by the
Ministry of Interior
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