Today,”Lawyers for Justice” group obtained an acquittal of the former political detainee Moamen Dawood (Nofal) from the Magistrates Court in Qalqilya.
Lawyers for Justice has followed up the case of former political detainee Moamen Dawood since his arrest, as the Preventive Security in Qalqilya arrested him on 6.11.2022, until he was released by a decision of the Qalqilya Magistrate Court on a personal guarantee of one thousand Jordanian dinars on 11/20/2022. During his detention, Dawood suffered from health problems and suffocation as a result of being thrown into the dungeon of the Preventive Security in Qalqilya. Despite the health problems he suffered as a result of his arrest, the Preventive Security continued to interrogate him about his opinions posted on social media. However, when the Preventive Security referred his case to the Public Prosecution, it sent an investigation report that he was in possession of weapons, which contradicts the actual investigation they are conducting with him, this is for the purposes of persuading the Public Prosecution and the competent court to arrest him legally, considering the charge of possession of a weapon dangerous to public order and security, unlike posting opinions on social media, which are not considered a threat to security and public order. As the Palestinian security services always use such political charges to justify the arrest of political detainees, and accordingly; The result in these cases is either that they be preserved before being referred to the competent court, or that the detainee obtains an acquittal after referring his case to the court, as in the case of Dawood. Accordingly, the “Lawyers for Justice” group calls on all human rights institutions, local and international, to address the Office of the Attorney General and the Supreme Judicial Council, not to receive such cases in which the security services distort the reality of the actual investigation. … Lawyers for Justice January 9, 2023 To follow the news of the detainees, you can join Lawyers for Justice community via WhatsApp through the following link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CuJR94yuhGp6Tdod1K6Mpi
Lawyers For Justice is following with great concern the arrest of Basil Flayan, by the general intelligence service
On December 13, 2022, members of the general intelligence service arrested the two brothers, Basil and Baha Falayan, from the village of Burhan, in the district of Ramallah, this arrest came as part of a massive campaign of arrests launched by the Palestinian security services from the end of November until the end of December 2022, against the backdrop of political and partisan pluralism. Following their arrest, Bahaa was released and Basil was kept in administrative detention without going through the legal procedures followed and stipulated in the applicable criminal procedure Code.On 22.12.2022, Basil was transferred to the public prosecution and then to the Ramallah magistrate court, which extended his detention under the pretext of completing the investigation, and still rejects all requests for release on bail submitted to it.Basil’s file lacks the guarantees of a fair trial, which was represented by administrative detention without referral to the public prosecution, or knowing the charges against him, and then referring him to the public prosecution nine days after his arrest.Lawyers for Justice is deeply concerned about this type of detention, which violates the content of the Palestinian Basic Law, especially Articles (5, 9, and 19) thereof, and the agreements and treaties to which the State of Palestine has acceded, as well as the denial of fair trial guarantees.…Lawyers for Justice4, January 2023
Lawyers for Justice documented allegations of torture made by the political detainee Islam Bani Shamsa from Nablus
Today, Thursday, Sept 15, 2022, Lawyers for Justice group followed a court session for the young man Islam Bani Shamsa from Nablus, in which the Nablus Magistrate’s Court decided to extend his detention for 15 days pending investigation. The lawyer group reported that marks of a longitudinal bruise appeared on his neck from the left side, which the court examined during the session.Bani Shamsa also reported that he was beaten on the head and back, which prompted the court to request that he be referred to medical services. According to his family, the detainee, Bani Shamsa, was beaten during the process of his arrest by the General Intelligence Service in the city of Nablus, on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, and the detainee himself told the group’s lawyer that he is on hunger strike. For its part, the Public Prosecution has charged the detainee, Bani Shamsa, with three charges before the judiciary, to justify the extension of his detention, and these charges are used as a legal justification for the arrest process, while he is being investigated on a political background. Accordingly, Lawyers for Justice is calling for the urgent intervention of the immediate release of the political prisoner Bani Shamsa, whose signs of torture and ill-treatment clearly appeared before the court today, and to guarantee his health, safety, and life while continuing his hunger strike. The group also calls for the need to hold accountable those who assaulted Bani Shamsa, as guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law and the international human rights agreements to which Palestine has acceded, including the Anti-Torture Protocol to which the Palestinian Authority joined in 2017, and which the Palestinian President considered the main reference for the work of the National Anti-Torture Authority in accordance with Article (18) of Decree-Law No (25) 2022.
Lawyers for Justice: Closure of 7 Palestinian civil and human rights institutions is a new Israeli aggression on human rights
Lawyers for Justice condemns the closure of the occupation, seven human rights and civil institutions, Thursday, August 18, 2022, in Ramallah: (Al-Haq Foundation, Addameer Foundation for Prisoner Care and Human Rights, Bisan Center for Research and Development, the International Movement for Defense of Children, and Action Committees Agriculture, the Health Work Committees Corporation, and the Union of Women’s Committees), attacks on their facilities, theft of their property, and closing their doors. Lawyers for Justice emphasizes that this closure is a blatant attack on the human rights community in the Palestinian territories, and attempt to disguise everyone who tries to expose the occupation and its crimes against the Palestinians, an attempt that began by classifying six out of the seven institutions attacked today as terrorist institutions last year. Lawyers for Justice believes that because the satisfaction of the international community and the Palestinian Authority work in condemning the classification of institutions as terrorist, without taking any real action to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its aggression, it has opened the way for more violations practiced by the Israeli occupation government, army and settlers against the Palestinians in their various places of residence. As the Lawyers for Justice declares its solidarity with the seven institutions, it calls on the international community, civil society, civil and human rights organizations to stand up to its responsibilities in a practical way to prosecute the occupation and ensure the functioning of these institutions without fear. It also calls on the Palestinian Authority to go seriously to try the occupation in international courts, away from prosecuting it only in the speeches and statements.
Allegations of torture made by political detainee Abdel-Wahhab Hamad
Lawyers for Justice denounces that the detainee Abd al-Wahhab Hamad, 21 years, from Nablus, was tortured during his detention at the Preventive Security forces, according to what he told the group’s lawyer today, Thursday, August 11, 2022. According to Hamad, he suffered a work injury in the shoulder before he got arrest. He was deliberately beaten on the place of injury, neck and head, during interrogation against a political background. During today’s court session, the Nablus Magistrate’s Court issued a decision to extend Hamad’s detention for 10 days, on the grounds of a political charge, at the request of the Public Prosecution to complete the investigation. The Preventive Security forces arrested Hamad on August 9, 2022, from his home after 1:30 at night. Lawyers for Justice is concerned about the allegations of torture made by Abdel Wahab Hamad, expresses its deep concern for his health, safety and security, makes an urgent appeal for his immediate release, and the accountability of those who beat him, and those who violated the Palestinian Basic Law and Human Rights in dealing with Hamad and the detainees Politicians with whom the group has previously documented allegations of torture.
Lawyers for Justice in the face of incitement by the executive organs
Again, the executive bodies and their employees continue their incitement against the Lawyers for Justice to prevent it from exercising its human rights work and defending the rights of activists and citizens, especially after the rise of the violations of the executive authority in the last two months. Unfortunately, the Lawyers for Justice group is following up the attempts of the security forces to pressure the political detainee’s families who the group is following, pushing them to withdraw their confidence from the group, as well as the distortion, incitement, and misinformation practiced by the forces against the group’s lawyers who are deployed in various governorates of the West Bank. in addition to lies on their tongues in front of the detainees and their families. In addition, the legal advisors of the security forces are trying to restrict the group’s lawyers during their normal work in pleading with the detainees and attending the investigation sessions, which are guaranteed by Palestinian law. These advisors, in cooperation with the forces in which they work, seek to issue subpoenas for the lawyers of the Lawyers for Justice. We affirm that the incitement that Lawyers for Justice is facing has not stopped since the group began its work in 2011, but it increases with every campaign of political arrests, every persistence in violating the law, and every belief by responsibles that they can adapt the law according to their interests, not according to justice. We at Lawyers for Justice assure that all restrictions and incitement against us will not weaken our position in defending human rights, and we will continue our legal and human rights activities in any attack on rights and freedoms that are protected by the Palestinian Basic Law and have not been safeguarded by the executive forces and their users. with respect for trial guarantees of justice that do not justify arbitrary arrest, torture, and beatings, whatever the act or accusation against any accused person.
New violations: more than 10 decisions to extend the detention of activists
Today, Sunday, July 24, 2022, the Jericho Court of First Instance extended the detention of fellow trainee lawyer Ahmed Al-Khasib, Jihad Wahdan, and Alaa Ghanem for 45 days, at the request of the Public Prosecution, and against a political background. The political detainees concluded last week with a series of extensions of their detention at the request of the Public Prosecution. The extension decisions followed up by Lawyers for Justice were as follows: – The Jericho Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of Birzeit University student Qassam Hamayel for 15 days, due to his student activity. – The Ramallah Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of Muhammad Mahmoud Sheikh, Muhammad Suleiman, Islam Arar, Anas Sahweil and Mahdi al-Rimawi for 15 days on a political ground. – The Jericho Court of First Instance extended the detention of Ahmed Harish and Munther Raheeb for 45 days on a political ground. – Ramallah Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of Muhammad Farouk Khaled for 7 days on a political ground.– The Jericho Magistrate’s Court extended Moath Saleh’s detention for 15 days. A Lawyers for Justice confirms that the charges attached to the detainees are politically motivated charges, far from any legal evidence, which was confirmed by the nature of the interrogation with the detainees, which takes a political turn. Lawyers for Justice condemns the continued detention of activists, human rights defenders, and citizens, some of whom will be close to two months after their arrest, without regard to public freedoms and the Palestinian Basic Law. The Lawyers for Justice group calls for all to stand as civil society institutions, human rights defenders and journalists, to move for the release of all detainees, and to stop the series of political arrests, which have escalated in the recent period.
A public opinion statement on the enforcement of the decisions of the new laws approved by the President of the Executive Authority, Mahmoud Abbas
The Supreme Judicial Council proceeds to work on the legal amendments related to the provisions of civil and criminal procedures approved by the President of the Executive Authority, Mahmoud Abbas; in light of obstruction of the Legislative Authority for many years in order to legislate laws that achieve justice and equity for people. The Lawyers for Justice group is following the start of validity of a set of laws approved by the President of the Executive Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, despite all the problems it faces, especially those related to the penal section that was approved by the executive authority in accordance with the provisions of the state of necessity due to the obstruction of the Legislative Council, and because of the obstacles from holding elections based on decision that canceled it on April last year. The executive authority was not satisfied with canceling the elections, which had been interrupted for more than fifteen years as a result of political division between the Palestinian political parties, rather, it practiced repression and political arrest on the basis of political affiliation and freedom of speech and expression, also practiced torture in many documented cases. Lawyers for Justice group sees these repressive measures that have been practiced by the Palestinian Authority and still practice for many years, arrests, repression and prosecutions based on criticism of its internal policies or its relationship with the occupation authorities; as an introduction that has been founded to legalize this repression. The executive authority was not satisfied with postponing the holding of the general elections, or even setting a new date for holding them, but it has become a new reality in which the human rights situation has worsened with the number of laws it issued during the past two years, but also for what was preceded before, like the adoption of the “Cybercrime Law” in 2018, which is used as a sword in the neck of freedoms. And What followed was the approval of the new Judicial Authority Law, which loses the prestige and independence of the judge and puts him on trial for a period of three years, during which he will be under the influence of illegal oversight for those who want to bind the judiciary and destroy constitutional principles sanctioned by the Palestinian Basic Law. Accordingly, Lawyers for Justice groups confirms that the adoption of the new amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedures that have entered into force; It fundamentally affects the fair trial guarantees that were guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law and the agreements to which the Palestinian Authority has signed and is a party of. Thus, the group considers these amendments as part of the policy of legalizing the repression practiced by the executive forces at a time when the pace of this repression is intensifying. The group also emphasizes that the continued flow of laws issued by the head of the executive authority, the continuity of these new laws, and the continued obstruction of holding fair legislative elections; It reinforces the prevailing state of repression and abolishes the principle of judicial independence and the separation between authorities without any oversight or accountability for many crimes committed in the name of the law.
The latest updates in the case of the accused in the assassination of political critic Nizar Banat
The trial session of the 14 whom are accused in the case of the assassination of the critic and political activist Nizar Banat; was held this morning, 03/07/2022, in the Military Court in Ramallah. All the accused were present, the defense attorney, a representative of Lawyers for Justice, and representatives of two other institutions, one local and one international to cover the progress of the trial. And It is worth noting that this is the first session a year after the assassination of Banat. And to expedite the completion of the trial, according to the defense attorney; He dispensed with the witness he had presented before (Major-General in Security), also he asked the court to give him a time limit, so that he and the competent authorities could bring an international expert from outside Palestine to present it as one of his evidence. The details of the expert’s name and address were not disclosed, due to the sensitivity of the expert’s name and to prevent any influence of public opinion on the expert. Then the defense attorney gave a copy of the letter in which the details of the international expert were included to the court, and asked them to reserve the letter, and include it in the trial papers without anyone viewing it. He also asked the court to assist in the procedures for bringing the international expert to Palestine, which needs time up to two months, and also for his desire to benefit from the judicial leave from 15/07/2022 until 01/09/2022. The court agreed to the defense attorney’s request that the next session be the last period for summoning witnesses from his side, thus, the next session will be on Tuesday, 06/09/2022 at 10:00 am.
The consideration of the appeal has been postponed in the case of journalist Abdul Rahman Thaher
Nablus Court of First Instance, in its appellate capacity, postpones consideration of the appeal submitted by the defense in the trial file of the journalist and satirical artist; Abdul Rahman Thaher until 08/08/2022و to appeal the decision of the Nablus Magistrate’s Court to convict journalist Thahir for defaming the authority on the grounds of his accusation of insulting the security forces “during a private, non-public conversation.” The Magistrate’s Court in Nablus had also acquitted journalist Thahir of other charges in the same file, after the aforementioned journalist was prosecuted for his journalistic work and for presenting critical political programmes.