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Political
Freedom:
The wide range of arrests that were
conducted by the Palestinian security forces included hundreds of
individuals from the political opposition. PNA violations have even
included violations against members from Fateh, along with small political
and newly established groups, such as the Popular Forces party.
Political
freedom is no longer a human right in Palestine. It has become a threat to
political agreements. Unfortunately, the PHRMG noticed that many of these
violations coincided with the recent negotiations at Wye Plantation. Such
abuses were committed in the name of ensuring that no obstacles stand in
the way of the agreement. Other violations came after Wye Plantation.
- Fatah rally:
Military intelligence kill al-Tarifi:
Wassim Yousef
Hassan al-Tarifi (16, student, from al-Bireh), died yesterday, 25 October
1998, as a result of gunfire released by the Palestinian Military
Intelligence (MI). Four other persons were injured by stones thrown at
them by the MI. This all took place while these five people participated
in a march organized by Fateh.
Almost 400
people from Fateh, headed by Marwan al-Barghouti (secretary of Fateh in
the West Bank), including other members from Fateh, participated in the
march which took flight from downtown Ramallah (Ramallah al-Tahta) at
three in the afternoon, heading towards the MI headquarters, to protest
the attack of MI members on Fateh office in Ramallah at one in the morning
on 25 October 1998. When the MI attacked the office, they destroyed the
furniture, and arrested five Fateh members from their homes.
When the
march settled by the GI headquarters, the demonstrators shouted words
attacking the MI, requesting that those who attacked the office be tried.
Marwan al-Barghouti spoke with the governor of Ramallah and al-Haj
Ismai’il Jaber (head of the National Security in the West Bank), and he
was told that those who attacked the office were arrested.
When the
demonstrators returned to their starting point from downtown Ramallah, two
of them threw stones at the headquarters, but they were stopped. All of a
sudden, the demonstrators were caught off guard by gunfire and stones
released and thrown by the MI. This resulted in killing one person and
wounding four others.
The MI
claimed that the reason they broke into the office was because two Fateh
members attacked a MI official two days earlier. The five members from
Fateh, who were arrested by the MI, were released on 26 October 1998.
- Adnan Abu Njeilah:
The PNA does
not welcome any new parties. The reason behind this is not only that the
PNA is not adopting the principle of pluralism, but also that it does not
want any party that might be an opposition to it in the future, thus
increasing problems. The PNA still suffers from the pressure placed on it
by the United States and Israel, to take severe measures against the
Palestinian opposition. Therefore, the PNA's made a decision to prevent
the establishment of a new party by denying it a license. Alternatively,
in order to guarantee that the newly established party will not create a
viable opposition now or in the future, the PNA would take full control of
the party by planting its men in the party, and make them in charge of it.
This scenario
occurred with the Palestinian Popular Forces party that was established in
June 1996 by a group of individuals who broke away from the Public Front
for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), because they supported the PNA and
the Oslo Accords. On 20 November 1997, this party obtained a license from
the Palestinian Ministry of Interior. A few days later, a group of
individuals who have a direct relationship with the Parties Security
Department in the GI, appeared from within the party: “On 13 February
1998, shortly after receiving a license, we were surprised that the body
of the party we built will be transformed into a gang performing personal
objectives to a number of employees at the Parties Security Department in
the GI. We refused to walk in this destructive path, and our central
committee decided to fire all those involved.” (Testimony by Yousef
al-Za’anin: Deputy Secretary to the Palestinian Popular Forces party)
The Popular
Forces party released a pamphlet that was distributed to the Ministry of
Interior and all the security forces, clarifying the violations committed
by the individuals who were fired from the party. GI officers however,
threatened to use “dirty measures” if the party’s central committee does
not allow one of the persons who was fired to have a high-ranking position
within the party. “We were surprised with the threats given by the GI
officers. One officer threatened to “use GI dirty measures” against the
Party’s Secretary and members of the party’s central committee if the
person who was fired is refused again.” (Yousef al-Za’anin)
To avoid
trouble, on 27 March 1998, the party held elections under the supervision
of the Ministry of Interior and the GI and PSS. None of the persons who
were fired from the party succeeded. Those who rejoined the party and
nominated themselves in the elections did not succeed either because the
Ministry of Interior did not consider the act of firing individuals legal.
When the results were out, the person whom the GI wanted to place in a
high-ranking position, threatened party member Hisham Ayesh Salem with a
gun. He told him that he would take severe measures if he were to be fired
from the party again. The security forces that were informed about the
threats took no measures against that person.
On 9 June
1998 at midnight, a vehicle stood in the middle of the street blocking the
way in front of the party secretary's automobile on its way home to
al-Rimal neighborhood in Gaza. Masked men, including one GI member, and
one of the individuals who were fired, came out of the vehicle. They
forced the secretary into their vehicle after stuffing his mouth with
dirt, and beating him left and right with their hands and feet. They even
threatened him with a gun. They took him to a deserted house in Beit
Lahia, and beat him up. Then they took him to him to one of their houses
and stepped on his whole body, asking him to resign from the party and
transfer his position to undersecretary of the Ministry the next day. When
he agreed, they threw him in the street at five in the morning, after
changing his shirt that was draining in blood.
On 23 June,
at ten in the evening, over 20 policemen arrived at the party’s
headquarters with an order from the head of police Gazi al-Jabali, to
close down the place, according to a higher order from the secretary of
the Ministry of Interior, Zacharia Abdulrahman. “I asked one of the
policemen to show me the order, and he did. The charge was that the party
committed administrative violations, and therefore the place should be
closed down for three months. I told them that I would do as they please,
and they sealed the place. I headed to the PSS headquarters in
al-Shaja’iyyah, and they told me that the decision was false. They claimed
that the decision to close down the party headquarters was due to pressure
from the GI over the Ministry of Interior.” (Adnan Abu Njeileh)
Before the
closure period was terminated, the Ministry of Interior announced in local
newspapers that it froze all the party’s activities for another three
months. The secretary reopened the place, but all activities were frozen.
- Violations following
the killing of Mohyi Eldin al-Sharif:
The PNA
arrested hundreds of Hamas members and Hamas supporters following the
assassination of Mohyi Eldin al-Sharif. (For more details, check the
Monitor Volume 2 issue 4)
- PNA violations
against the opposition following Wye Plantation:
On 6 November
1998, the PFLP and the Democratic Front (the Palestinian opposition in
Gaza) held a speech rally in Jabalia refugee camp, protesting against the
Wye Plantation agreement. Speechmakers protested against Wye and called on
the PNA to cancel the agreement. On the night of 6 November 1998, the
Palestinian police – the criminal department – arrested members from the
PFLP and Democratic front from their homes, on the grounds that during
their speeches at the rally in Jabalia, the Israeli and American flags
were burnt.
Names of
those who were arrested:
- Fayez Abu Sharkh –
42 – from Jabalia – PFLP
- Lua’I al-Za’anin –
24 – from Beit Hanun – PFLP – arrested from his home
- Usama Abu Qiffeh –
Khan Yunis – Democratic Front
- ‘Ala’a Hammad –
Jabalia – Democratic Front
- Nasser Nasser –
Jabalia – Democratic Front
- Ramez Ukasheh –
Jabalia – Democratic Front
- Khaled Abu Sharkh –
Gaza
- Sheikh Radwan –
Democratic Front – was not at home – turned himself in at noon the next
day 7 November 1998
Those who
made the speeches were: Ismai’il Mahmoud from the Arab Liberation Front,
Abdullah al-Shami from the Islamic Jihad, Yehya Moussa from al-Khalas
group, Saleh Zeidan from the Democratic Front, Jamil Majdalawi from the
PFLP, and Minister of the Post Office and Communications Ahmad al-Faluji.
- On the night of the
signing at Wye Plantation on 29 October 1998, the PNA placed Hamas
leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin (62) under house arrest at his home south of
Gaza. The house is still surrounded by dozens of policemen. Yassin was
not officially informed about his being under house arrest. He found out
when members from the police came and searched his home. The next day,
the police arrested Yassin’s escorts. He was forbidden from attending
Friday prayers at the mosque, and the phone line in his house was
disconnected. On 8 November 1998, former Legislative Council member Dr,
Haidar Abdul Shafi, and attorney Subhiyeh Juma’a, were forbidden from
visiting Yassin. Policemen standing at the crossroads leading to
Yassin’s home told them that they needed a permit to visit Yassin.
- The PNA disconnected
the phone lines of Hamas leaders Ismai’il Abu Shanab, Dr. Mahmoud
al-Zahhar, and Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, as was stated above.
- At nine in the
evening on 6 November 1998, the Palestinian Police closed down the
Islamic Naqa’a Society in Bethlehem. The police searched the place for
two hours and confiscated documents belonging to the society, which
included documents such as the rent contract, the authorization license,
and a guidebook to typing. This all took place after verbally informing
the director of the Society, Itaf ‘Elayyan about the closure without
giving reasons. Head of the National Security released an emergency law
to seal off the headquarters. The PNA announced this emergency law
following the bombing which took place in Machane Yehuda in West
Jerusalem in July 1997, so that it would be able to conduct a series of
arrests on Islamic fundamentalists after the pressures placed on it by
the US and Israel. It is important to mention that al-Naqa’a Society had
a license from the PNA in June 1998.
- On 24 October 1998
at night, the Palestinian police arrested Sheikh Nafez Azzam from his
home in Gaza City. He was released on 30 October after he was
interrogated for a speech he delivered on the one year anniversary of
the death of Fathi al-Shaqaqi.
- On 3 November 1998,
at eleven in the evening, PSS and GI members arrested Anwar Mahmoud
Ahmad Himran (26, from Jenin) from his home. His home and office were
both searched. Himran is the director of al-Sabeel office, the reporting
office for al-Istiqlal newspaper. The GI had already arrested Himran on
18 October. Upon his release, after spending one week in detention, the
GI placed him under house arrest. Himran is still detained.
- The series of wide
arrests by the PNA following the bombing in Gaza:
On 29
October 1998, the PSS and the GI conducted a series of wide arrests on
leaders from Hamas and Khalas group, taking over 100 people. This took
place following the bombing that took place in Gaza by one Hamas member,
Muhammad Abdullah, near Gush Quteif. The arrests were conducted at
random. Lists were prepared prior to the arrests and then security
members went from one house to another taking the people whose names
were on the list. Some of those on the lists were out of the country.
There was no organization between the PSS and the GI with regards to the
arrests. Sometimes the two forces would go to the same one after the
other. The GI arrived at the home of Dr. Ghazi Hamad, editor of
al-Rissalah newspaper on 30 October 1998 in the evening. He was not
home, so they left him a summons to report to headquarters as soon as he
arrived. At 2:30 in the morning of the next day, PSS members visited the
same home. Since Hamad was still not there, they left him a summons to
go to their headquarters as soon as he arrived.
Among those
arrested in this series arrests were: Khalas member Sheikh Ahmad Bahr,
Khalas member attorney Muhammad Faraj al-Ghoul (40), Dr. Muhammad
Shahab, and Dr.Yunis al-Astal, dean of al-Shari’ah college at the
Islamic university, Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahhar, Yasser Harb, Atallah Abu
al-Sibbeh, Ismai’il Abu Shanab, head of Engineers Syndicate, Maher
al-Ghazali, Sheikh Ahmad Nimer Hamdan, Dr. Ibrahim al-Yazouri, Ismai’il
Haniyyeh, and Dr. Sleiman al-Dayah, a lecturer at the Islamic
university.
On 13
November 1998, on Palestine TV, Brigadier general Gazi al-Jabali was
asked about the series of random arrests that was conducted by the PNA
following the bombing in Gaza. He said: “there was no torture in that
last series. The PSS and the GI conducted the arrests. They have enough
experience with these issues. Some politicians were not arrested
randomly, but for political reasons.”
- On 17-18 October 1998, the
GI carried out a series of arrests against members from the Islamic
Jihad. The members were taken from their homes, mainly after midnight.
Among those arrested was Iyyad Muhammad Hardan (24, Single, student at
al-Quds Open University, From Jenin), Abdulhalim Nayef Izz Eddin (31,
student at al-Quds University, from Jenin), and Sharif Mohyi Eddin
Tahayneh (31, single, student at al-Quds Open University, from Jenin).
The first one was released a week later, the second after hours because
of his health, and the third is still in detention.
- On 22 October 1998,
the GI arrested three men from the Islamic Jihad from Jenin. Muhammad
Faris Jaradat (30, married, works in a printshop), Sleiman Moussa
Tahayneh (married, works in journalism), and Khaled Zakarneh (26,
married, teacher at a public school). The three of them were released
later. For more information, refer to the information in the list of
those who were arrested following the bombing.
- On 7 October 1998,
the GI arrested Mahmoud Moussa Sleiman Khalil (32, married and father of
4, truck driver) from Hamas. He spent many years in Israeli prisons in
the past. He is still detained.
- On 27 October 1998,
the GI arrested Muhammad Ahmad Attayah (27, married and father to one
child, teacher). He is still detained.
- On 5 October 1998,
at three in the morning, police members and GI as well as PSS members,
arrested Muhammad Jamal al-Natsheh (40) from Hamas. They searched his
home thoroughly, and confiscated a number of documents and computer
discs and video films. He is still held by the GI.
- Between 11 and 13
November, the Palestinian Security forces conducted a series of arrests
on Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders. Forty activists from both parties
were arrested in Gaza, and many of them summoned by the PSS and the GI.
This was prior to American President Bill Clinton’s visit to the area on
14 November.
Police
members attacked people who participated in a march in support of the
Iraqi people, following the rally organized by the PFLP. The police threw
tear gas canisters at people, and arrested eight journalists. Thousands of
people participated in the march. There were members from the PLC: Kamal
al-Sharafi, Ibrahim Abu Al-Naja, and Jamileh Seidam. There were also PFLP
members. The march began from martyr Sai’d Faisal field near Palestine
field in Gaza City, and headed to the PLC headquarters, where
representative Ibrahim Abu al-Naja was supposed to give a speech. However,
the police stood in the way of the marchers and asked the crowds to
disperse. When the marchers refused, the police through tear gas canisters
at them and started shooting live bullets in the air. PFLP members were
arrested for several hours: Jamil Majdalawi, member in the PFLP political
office, Kayed al-Ghoul, member in the Palestinian National and Political
Centers. In addition, PFLP leaders Dr. Rabah Mihna and Nabil Al-Ghoul were
held at the police main headquarters in Gaza City. The members were all
taken to Captain Talal Abu Zeid’s office where they were told that they
were arrested because they did not have a license for the march, but only
for the rally. Then they were taken to Brigadier Gaza al-Jabali’s office
in the presence of PLC representative Kamal al-Sharafi. Al-Jabali informed
them that marches are not forbidden if they had a permit. There were no
masked men in the march, and no flags were burnt. Furthermore, no protests
were made with regards to Wye Plantation. The members were released after
several hours.
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