They were forced to stand for three days in a “closet”: Lawyers for Justice documents violations against Birzeit University students during their detention
The Lawyers for Justice group monitored several serious human rights violations against students at Birzeit University; (YD) during 11 days of his detention, (A.S) 12 days, and (M.Q) 13 days. They were all arrested during the same period in December 2021 by the Intelligence Service in Ramallah. The detained students stated that they were locked up in a very narrow room (like a closet), in which there was no possibility of sitting, and they were chained for more than three days and nights, deprived of sleep and rest, and were forced to stand on their own feet throughout their confinement in this cramped room. Lawyers for Justice documented that the detained student A.S. was severely beaten in the first days of his detention. Furthermore, the intelligence service hanged the three students upside down while interrogating them on their student activities at Birzeit University and their interaction with student blocs. Moreover, their families were not allowed to visit. Accordingly, Lawyers for Justice condemns this blatant attack on students during their detention and the violation of human rights, and the encroachment on the freedom of their student activity. The group also calls for prosecuting those involved in the torture of students and to open an investigation into the detention conditions for political activists, students, and journalists. Lawyers for Justice group issued an urgent appeal to local and international human rights institutions to stand and pressure to stop political and student arrests and to guarantee freedom of opinion and expression, political action, and student activity, as guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law and human rights agreements.
Court session for those accused of killing Nizar Banat January 10, 2022
The Lawyers for Justice group attended, as a human rights observer, the court session of the 14 defendants in killing Nizar Banat in the Military Court in Ramallah today, Monday, January 10, 2022, in the presence of the 14 defendants, their defense lawyers, representatives of the military prosecution, and the lawyer of the Nizar Banat family. During the session, the court, at the request of the defendants’ defense, summoned the “information security expert (S.D)” to conduct expert work on the videos related to Banat’s murder case. The court granted him two weeks to present the report.Accordingly, the court postponed the hearing to January 23, 2022.
Lawyers for justice group documented a political detention in connection to the local elections
The Lawyers for justice group monitored human rights violations against the activist (M.S) from a village in Ramallah during his arrest due to his participation in the local elections that took place in December 2021. According to M.S, he was interrogated in Ramallah court for “possessing a weapon” during his 13 years detention. Most of the investigation dealt with the participation of one of his relatives in the winning list in the village and ” the role of the activist in forming and mobilizing the list”, in addition to the investigation about the activist’s participation in the “Great Down” youth campaign. The group documented that M.S was beaten on the head during his transfer from Ramallah prison to Jericho prison after seven days of his arrest. On the other hand, he went on a hunger strike for the first eight days in protest against his political arrest. In Jericho prison, he was interrogated almost daily, and the intelligence service prevented his family and the advocate of Lawyers for justice group from visiting him during his detention. Accordingly, the group condemns the beating of the activist”M.S” during his arrest which violates human rights and puts his health and safety at risk. The group also condemns the arrest of the activist due to his participation in the local elections, in contravention of presidential decree No 5 about the promotion of public liberties, especially the freedom of electoral participation without harassment or restrictions. Lawyers for justice group calls on local and international human rights institutions to pay attention to what political detainees are subjected to from torture and violations inside the prisons of the security services against the background of opinion, expression and political participation.
Lawyers for justice condemns the re-arrest of the activist Muhammad Hussein
The Lawyers for justice group condemns the re-arrest of the activist Muhammad Ammar Hussein by the intelligence services immediately after his release from Nablus prison. On January 3, 2022, the Nablus Magistrate court issued a verdict to release him on bail of 2000 Jordanian dinars, after 12 days of his political detention. The group reiterates its condemnation of the re-arrest of the activist and stresses that his re-arrest comes as a part of a series of serious violations by the security services against the Palestinian judiciary. Moreover, it trespasses the judicial decisions in violation of the Palestinian Basic Law and human rights conventions. The group also calls for the immediate release of the detainee Muhammad Ammar Hussein, and suit the violators.
More than 340 political arrests in 2021
The Palestinians welcomed 2021 with Presidential Decree No(5) to enhance public freedomsو and ensure political affiliation and action without persecution or restrictions. And legal criminalizing political detention confirming the provisions of the Palestinian Basic Law. And what the Palestinian Authority signed when it joined international agreements on human rights and freedom of opinion and expression. Despite the support and protection of freedoms that the Palestinian government emphasized since the beginning of this year to stop prosecuting any journalist or activist based on his work or political activity, 2021 recorded an escalation in human rights violations. The Lawyers for justice group monitored more than 340 arrests cases, including activists, academics, university students, journalists, and human rights defenders. As the world is welcoming the new year, 45 detainees are absent from their families; they are languishing in the prisons of the security services due to their political and student activity and their right to opinion and expression. The group documented more than 67 cases of political arrests during December in several governorates. Nablus (22 arrests) and Hebron (21) topped the list as the governorates that recorded the most cases of political arrests. Then comes Jenin Governorate (18 arrests), Ramallah and Al-Bireh (10 arrests), and Bethlehem (7 arrests). It also recorded many cases in Tubas, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and Salfit governorates. The rate of arrests based on opinion and political affiliation increased after the postponement of the legislative elections on April 29, and the events in the Palestinian territories in May, and the assassination of opposition activist Nizar Banat on June 24 this year, and the subsequent demonstrations condemning the assassination. Moreover, in a previous report, the Lawyers for Justice group revealed that they monitored more than 200 cases of political and opinion-based arrests in the period between May \ November. Lawyers for Justice bids farewell to the year 2021, as it turns into one of the most brutal years of repression of freedoms and the rights of opinion and expression. And it is anxiously awaiting the new year, hoping to preserve and maintain the Palestinians rights of political affiliation and freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law and the international human rights agreements to which Palestine is a party.
Court session for those accused of killing Nizar Banat – December 26, 2021
Today, Sunday, December 26, 2021, the group of Lawyers for justice attended the trial session of the accused of killing the activist Nizar Banat. The trial held in the military judiciary building in Ramallah, in the presence of the 14 accused, their defense attorneys, the representative of the military prosection and the lawyer of the Nizar Banat family. During the session, the defense lawyer of the accused presented his witness (Z.R), the defense lawyer and the representative of the military prosecution questioned the witness. The group also observed a violation in fair court standards which is no clear basis for the court to accept or reject the questions that was discussed by the witness.
Due to the absence of witnesses.. 9 trial sessions for activists were postponed and a case file was closed
Ramallah Magistrate Court postponed nine trial sessions of activists and human rights defenders, until January 19, 2022, due to the non-attendance of witnesses and their absence from the sessions. Representatives of the Public Prosecution Office requested a time limit to confirm their positions on the evidence.In light of the continued absence of witnesses, as the representative of the defense, the advocate of the Lawyers for Justice group petitioned the court to compel the prosecution to bring the witnesses themselves.Although the Public Prosecution Office has previously completed all aspects of the investigation file, the group observed a delay in the court’s procedure. By accepting the request of the representative of the Public Prosecution to grant him additional time, and that the postponement of the hearing serves nothing but delay the achievement of justice.Meanwhile, after four court sessions, the court closed the case file against activist Ghassan Al-Saadi on charges of “Defamation using the electronic network or any information technology means.”, due to the failure of the Minister of Social Development, Ahmed Majdalani in submitting his civil right to accept this case.Here, a group of Lawyers for Justice points out that it raised in its defenses the failure of Al-Majdalani to claim civil rights since the first session of the case on July 6, 2021. But the court rejected the arguments and insisted that the activist’s trial continues till today.Accordingly, the group stresses that the continued procrastination of the activists’ court proceedings does not fall within the standards of a fair trial.Furthermore, Lawyers for Justice recalls that activists are prosecuted for their human rights activism and advocacy without committing any violation of Palestinian law and that their activities came within the framework of human rights agreements and the Palestinian Basic Law, which guarantees their right to expression and peaceful demonstration.
An invitation to attend trials of 35 human rights defenders and activists
Lawyers for Justice group invites all media organizations, civil society, local and international human rights institutions to attend ten public trial sessions of 35 human rights activists and defenders against participating in the “Enough is enough” movement in 2020. And on participating in the demonstrations condemning the assassination of activist Nizar Banat in June 2021. The group confirms that attending and monitoring these public hearings contributes to fair trial standards. Activists are being prosecuted for their participation in legal activities guaranteed by Palestinian law, freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law, and human rights treaties to which Palestine is a party. Their cases were listed under different charges, as follows: Stirring up racist strife, continuing to gather and not disperse except by force, Participating in an illegal gathering, breaching the state of emergency, and stirring up sectarian strife, defamation using the electronic network or any information technology means”. The sessions were postponed several times due to the absence of witnesses in the security services. Also, one of the sessions was postponed due to the absence of the witness, Ahmed Majdalani, Minister of Social Development. This continued absence of witnesses, whether intentionally or because they were not informed, led to the delay in the trial, in violation of fair trial guarantees, as is the case with the “Enough” movement activists who have been on trial for more than a year. Accordingly, as the Lawyers for Justice group pleads as an attorney for the defense of activists and human rights, it calls on civil and human rights institutions and the media to attend on Sunday 19/12/2021 at the Ramallah Magistrate Court, where the sessions begin at nine in the morning.
Lawyers for Justice: The arrest of activist Moussa Nazzal, under the custody of the governor, is against the law
In cooperation with the United Nations Human Rights Office, the Lawyers for Justice group was able to locate the place of detention of activist Musa Nazzal “Al-Sawy” in Qalqilya, where he is detained under the custody of the governor of Qalqilya.The General Intelligence Service, where he is held, has prevented the family of the detainee “Al-Sawy” from visiting him, which is a cause for concern about the conditions of his detention and his health condition.Since 7/12/2021, General Intelligence arrested “Al-Sawy” without an arrest warrant. The Lawyers for Justice group did not find any file for his case with the Public Prosecution, which means that the arrest was carried out arbitrarily and illegally.The detention under the governor’s custody violates the Palestinian Penal Procedures Law No. (3) of 2001, where Article 29 of it states that: “No one may be arrested or imprisoned except by an order from the legally competent authority”. In this case, the competent authority according to the law is the Civil Public Prosecution, as it is a competent authority in establishing and conducting criminal proceedings.Moreover, detained him for seven consecutive days without a trial violates the Palestinian Basic Law, which states in Article (12): “Anyone who is arrested or detained shall be informed of the reasons for his arrest and detention. And shall be informed promptly in a language he understands of the accusation against him, be able to contact a lawyer and be brought to trial without delay.”Today, the group appealed to the Public Prosecutor for his immediate release in light of his illegal arrest procedures.The Lawyers for Justice group affirms that they will follow up on the “Al-Sawy” case, in addition to following up on political detainees, until their freedom is guaranteed, their release, and the emptying of all political prisons.
Lawyers for Justice documents a violation against the human rights of a political prisoner
Lawyers for Justice group documented grave human rights violations that activist “N.ِA” was subjected to during his arrest during the twenty days of his political detention.Although the court issued a decision to release him, it was not implemented, and his detention continued in a narrow and unclean cell without the minimum necessities of life. Moreover, he was exposed to verbal abuse, hanging, and sleep deprivation. The interrogators also tried to wage a psychological war on him by using phrases suggesting that they did not intend to release him.They prevented his family and lawyer from visiting him, and he was interrogated almost daily without any legal basis. And without respecting the detainee and dealing with him following human rights agreements to which Palestine is a party.Therefore, the group of Lawyers for Justice calls for an immediate investigation into the conditions of political prisons and the urgent release of all political detainees and ensures their protection and safety. It also appeals to the Attorney General to urgently enforce the law about the implementation of the release decisions issued by the Palestinian judiciary.