Press Release

August 6, 2004

PHRMG Condemns the Detention of Mr.  Abdul Latif Gaith

According to Addameer sources, on Thursday 29 July 2004, the Israeli army arrested Mr. Abdul Latif Gheith, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association at Qalandiya military checkpoint. Mr. Gheith was also a member of the Board of Directors of PHRMG. The PHRMG condemns his detention and demands his immediate release.

According to Addameer, Mr. Gheith stated that he had been detained at Qalandiya military checkpoint, then was transferred to Benyamin Military Detention Camp at the Ofer military base, on the outskirts of the city of Ramallah. Mr. Gheith was not given any reason for his detention and has not been charged with any offence. 

The Israeli Military Commander of the West Bank has issued an administrative detention order against Mr. Gheith. He claimed that Mr. Gheith is a danger to the security of the region. The PHRMG condemns his detention and all administrative detainees who continue to be held without charges or trial.

Mr. Gaith, 63, has devoted his life to the protection of human rights and social justice.  He has spent all of his energy on social justice and human rights issues related to violations of the rights of Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, particularly against the Annexation Wall that has created enclaves of Palestinian residential areas and suffocated Palestinian society. 

The detention of Mr. Gheith is a systematic oppressive campaign by Israel to use arbitrary detention to silence the work of Palestinian social activists, with the aim of destroying the social fabric of Palestinian society as a whole.  The PHRMG demands the immediate release of Abdul Latif Gheith, and all administrative detainees who continue to be held without charge or trial, and for the Israeli Occupation Authorities to immediately cease their systematic use of arbitrary detention.