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Jerusalem:
31 August , 1997
‘Disappearance’ in Ramallah:
Shafiq Abd el-Wahab missing for 9 weeks after being arrested
by Military Intelligence in Ramallah; PA agencies deny
holding him or even arresting him
On June 21, a man who
identified himself as a member of the Military Intelligence
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 indicating that he was ‘disappeared’ by agents of the
Military Intelligence in Ramallah.
On June 22, Abd el-Wahab’s wife,
Majidah Abd el-Wahab, filed a complaint at the police
station in Ramallah demanding to learn where her husband was
being held. She works in her husband’s real estate office,
and was present during the arrest. A few days afterwards,
she was in the headquarters of the MI, and saw ‘Hilmi.’ She
called out to him, “where is my husband?” and was then
forced to leave immediately. On July 5, urgent requests were
sent to the Ramallah District Prosecutor, the Minister of
Justice, the Chief of Police, and President Arafat demanding
that Abd el-Wahab be located. The next day appeals were sent
to the Military prosecutor, the General Intelligence, and
the office of the Governor.
On July 7, the President’s office
established a special committee to look into the
disappearance of Abd el-Wahab. Additional letters and
appeals have been sent again, to officials in the security
forces and local prosecutors demanding to find out where Abd
el-Wahab is located. No answer to any of these appeals has
been received. The special committee has not responded.
The PHRMG is concerned that Abd el-Wahab
has been kidnapped illegally by the Military Intelligence,
and is either being held in a secret detention center, or
has been seriously harmed or killed. Today Amnesty
International released an urgent action appeal on Abd el-Wahab’s
behalf, calling on the PA to release him or announce his
whereabouts.
The official and public silence on
Abd el-Wahab’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 information
on the reasons for the arrest.
Abd el-Wahab is 52 years old and
father of five.
1. On Saturday, 21 June around 15:30,
a young man came to my husband’s office and called him by
his surname. My husband presented himself for him then the
young man asked my husband to talk with him. At that moment,
he informed him that the MI wants him at their headquarters
in Ramallah.
2. My husband told me to wait for him
at the office until he came back. I asked him why, and he
said that the MI want him. Then I followed him to hear more,
and at the door there was another young man waiting. His
name was Hilmi, and he told me there is nothing to be
concerned about - they were going to ask him about a warrant
and then he will come back.
3. I stayed at the office waiting for
him to return, but he never did. I started to search for him
at the offices of the security forces, but they all denied
arresting or holding him. No one knew where he was. I have
even been to Jericho, but my search has not borne fruit.
4. The continuing absence of my
husband is a violation of the law and a crime that should be
punished. The officials responsible for this kind of
situation should act with determination to resolve this
issue.
5. The continuation of illegal
arrests by persons who pretend that they are officials and
the appearance of damaging results because of their absence
excites confusion in the Palestinian street and the previous
incidents which have been published in the newspapers so
far.
Letter to HRW from the lawyer of the
disappeared listing the actions taken to locate his client.
1. On Saturday, 21/6/97, my client
told me that a young man arrived to her husband’s office and
asked about him. Then my husband Shafiq M. Hassan Abed
Alwahab presented himself to him. The young man told him
that the MI needs him at the headquarters in Ramallah. So,
he went with him and didn’t return.
2. On the 22/6/97, my client
submitted a complaint to the Ramallah police (756/97) to
inform them of the incident.
3. On Thursday 3/7/97, Miss Majedah
Abd Alhadi, the wife of Shafiq Abed Alwahab appointed a
lawyer.
4. On 5/7/97 she filed an urgent
request to the Attorney General in Ramallah as the law
requires.
5. On 5/7/97 I filed an urgent
request to the mayor of Ramallah Al Pisab and the local
prosecutor telling him about the incident and the necessity
of locating Shafiq.
6. On 5/7/97 I filled an urgent
request to the Ministry of Justice.
7. On 5/7/97 My client Majideh
submitted a letter to the President telling him about the
incident and asking him to look for her husband. On 7/7/97 I
was informed by phone that the President ordered the
formation of a committee of inquiry to see into the matter.
8. 6/7/97 I submitted a letter to the
chief of police in Ramallah requesting an answer to the
complaint filed on 22/6/97.
9. On 6/7/97 I filed an urgent
request to the Military Attorney General in Ramallah
requesting a search for Shafiq to discover if he is being
held by the security forces.
10. On 6/7/97 I filed an urgent
request to the head of the General Intelligence (Mukhabarat)
in the West Bank on the same subject.
11. On 6/7/97 I filed an urgent
request to the head of the operations department and
complained about the Ramallah governate on this issue.
12. On 8/7/97 I submitted another
letter to the Ramallah prosecutor, following up on my
previous letter from 5/7, and requesting to know what has
been done to locate Shafiq.
13. On 19/7/97 I submitted a letter
to the President and the inquiry committee mentioned above
in (7) to follow up on my previous letters.
14. On 20/7/97 I submitted a letter
to the Attorney General in Gaza Mr. Fayez Abu-Rahme
informing him about this subject and the necessity of urgent
action according to the laws and justice.
15. On 21/7/97 My client sent a
letter by fax to the Attorney General in Gaza on the same
subject.
16. On 23/7/97 I submitted a letter
to the Attorney General in Jericho Mr. Ibrahim Amin telling
him about the same subject.
So far I haven’t received any written
answer from any party that I or my client have written to.
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