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Jerusalem, December 15 1999
Another
Palestinian dies in prison – 22nd death in
custody since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority
Mahmoud Mohammed
Khalil Hasan al-Bajjali (33), a father of three children,
from Bethlehem died in Ramallah prison on December 6 1999.
His mother was only allowed to see his face before the body
was transferred under orders from the General Prosecutor of
Ramallah to al-Quds University in Abu-Dis for autopsy.
Mahmoud
died after spending five years in prison without trial. He
was arrested by the Israeli authorities on November 6 1995,
and charged with a criminal offense. After his arrest,
Mahmoud spent one year in Israel in Juneid detention center,
then he was transferred to the Palestinian authority prison
in Nablus where he spent two years before he was taken to
Ramallah central prison.
The Palestinian
Human Rights Monitoring Group has received reports that
Mahmoud did not suffer from any illness, and that he had no
complains about his health during his imprisonment. His
mother Mariam visited Mahmoud in Rammallah prison on
November 14 1999. She found him in good health.
The family of Mahmoud did
not receive the medical report. We have not been able to
receive the autopsy report from December 6, or any
information with regard to Mahmoud’s death.
Since the establishment of
the Palestinian Authority, this is the 22nd death
in the custody in Palestinian prisons. In none of the cases,
autopsy reports were released. In each case, the PA
established an investigating committee to look into the
deaths, but until today there exist no conclusions from
these committees.
The Palestinian Human Rights
Monitoring Group (PHRMG) strongly protests against the
practice of not releasing autopsy reports or medical reports
of prisoners who die in Palestinian custody. The families of
the deceased have the right to receive autopsy reports and
any medical evidence collected. Further, The PHRMG call upon
the Palestinian Authority to establish a forensic department
totally independent from the Ministry of Justice, the
Ministry of Prisoners Affairs and the Palestinian police and
security forces.
For
more information, contact the PHRMG office: Tel: 972 2
6262463, Fax: 972 2 6262378, E-mail:
admin@phrmg.org
http://www.phrmg.org
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