Statement by Lawyers for Justice regarding the deportation of activist Omar Shaker
Following the decision of the Israeli Interior Minister to deport human rights activist and defender Omar Shaker, the director of Human Rights Watch’s office in Palestine, Lawyers for Justice strongly condemns the deportation decision and the subsequent endorsement of it by the Israeli District Court of Jerusalem. This is an integral part of the policy of deportation practiced by the Israeli occupation authorities against anyone who carries a humanitarian and moral message towards the reality of which Palestinians are subjected to continuously by the ongoing occupation that has lasted for more than seventy years. The group considers the deportation decision, which was upheld by the Israeli Supreme Court in occupied Jerusalem on backgrounds of what the Minister of Interior of the occupation government described as hostile activity, in light of Shaker’s activity as a human rights activist and defender in the occupied territories. Lawyer for justice considers this act a continuation of a long-existing policy of legalization and legitimization of the occupation as well as authorization to the Israeli Army to wipe out any humanitarian message or anti-occupation human rights speech, and eradicate any call to end the occupation which has long been and continues to be a burden on the people of the free world. Lawyers for Justice, therefore, calls on all activists, human rights defenders and freedom activists to continue to carry out their humanitarian mission and their human rights activities to end the occupation and achieve freedom. The group urges to intensify messages of solidarity and provide moral support to the activist Omar Shaker and all defenders, liberals, and activists for freedom and for the respect for human rights.
Lawyers for Justice “follows with concern the allegations of torture and miss-treatment reported by the detainee Mohammed Zahran” by the Public Prosecution
Lawyers for justice followed up with Mohammed Zahran’s case on Tuesday, whom is a detainee for the GID in Ramallah, since Monday 18/11/2019 Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Zahran, from Deir Abu Mish’al town, Ramallah’s district, a prisoner of liberation who spent three years in Israeli jails, Zahran works in the Anti-Corruption Commission, where attorney Muhannad Karajeh attended yesterday’s prosecution session held for Zahran at about 1:30 pm. “Lawyers for justice” worried about all the allegations of torture and miss-treatment raised by Zahran before the prosecution and documented in his reports, that he was tortured for more than 45 minutes, Zahran said yesterday that his hands were handcuffed, “his hands were placed behind his back, the handcuffs were tied to a rope and hung from the ceiling, this terrible mistreatment continued over 45 minutes, Zahran confirmed that they stripped off his clothes and kept him with a blouse while the weather was very cold, and then transferred him to a spot called “refrigerator” area which does not exceed one meter in length and meters across, and does not contain a mattress, which he could not sleep in it all night last night, plus he was not allowed to go to the bathroom. The Public Prosecution noted yesterday that Zahran had redness spots on his hands and decided to arrest him for 48 hours, but to show up again to the Public Prosecution on Thursday. Prosecutors accuse Zahran of collecting and receiving illegal money from illegal parties and the court released him with 200 dinars of bail, later the file was closed without conviction, and “Lawyers for Justice” group asserts that prosecuting the person on the same charge twice which is illegal. “Lawyers for Justice” considers this statement to be a communication to the Attorney General to open an investigation into the allegations of torture and miss-treatment reported by Zahran before the prosecution, In compliance with the international agreements and treaties against torture and miss-treatment signed by the State of Palestine.
A statement for “Lawyers for Justice” about the arrested student, Abdul Rahman Hamdan
Lawyers for Justice are following with great concern the arrest of a student at Birzeit University, Abd al-Rahman Hamdan, who was arrested by the General Intelligence Service up to 12:30 p.m last Thursday.Today, lawyers for justice have been present in the Public Prosecution offices since the morning to attend the investigation with Abd al-Rahman.Also, Abdul Rahman is about to graduate from the university, and since discussing his graduation project next Wednesday, keeping him arrested will lead to the loss of his academic future. “Lawyers for Justice” reject any detention that comes against the background of political opinion, student union work, or freedom of opinion and expression.
A statement to the public opinion on the decision for blocking media websites on the Internet
Lawyers for justice got surprised by the decision from the content of the judicial issued by the Ramallah Magistrate Court issued on 17/10/2019, this decision comes after the issuance of a similar decision with the same content that holds the number 11/2017 on 2/7/2017. Lawyers for justice consider the aforementioned decision issued by a Palestinian court as a political decision, with a legal cover aimed at curbing any media activity inconsistent with the policies of the existing political system, and this considered an infringement of rights and freedoms and reflects the government’s lack of seriousness in the decisions adopted by the public opinion on respect for freedoms and other opinion and also the freedom of press work in Palestine. Lawyers for Justice affirm that the decision violates the Palestinian Basic Law, as well as international agreements signed by the State of Occupied Palestine, which is committed to respect for rights and freedoms Including freedom of opinion and expression, especially when the incitement against national values, heritage and culture is proliferating and the approach to normalization continues without questioning or accountability. Lawyers for justice also affirm the necessity of reversing this decision and canceling all its legal effects, and not issuing such illegal decisions, and not issuing the law of freedom of speech, implication of this, is the exploitation of the practitioner against organs of the judiciary. Lawyers for justice had filed an appeal with the number 44/2018 before the Court of first Instance in Ramallah as an appeal against the previous decision, which was number 11/2017, lawyers for justice decided not to accept it from the court at the time, under the pretext of lack of jurisdiction according to the decision of the Appealing Court.
Mohammed Nasir
Mohammed Jamal Nasir, a student in berzeit university and a trade union activist, He was arrested by the Palestinian General Intelligence from Ramallah on Tuesday 22/10/2019, Mohammed Nasser is a former prisoner and was arrested in the General Intelligence in 2014. The lawyer Mohanad Karajah confirmed that his arrest was extended by the Public Prosecution inside the Intelligence Service on Wednesday 23/10/2019 for 24 hours He was interrogated by the Public Prosecution on Thursday 24/10/2019 on charges of collecting and receiving illegal funds. Mohanad Karajah stated that during the interrogation Nasir was tortured for long hours, Mohanad also noticed that Nasir was not able to move his fingers so he asked the public prosecution to transfer him to medical services, on the same day, the Public Prosecution requested the Ramallah Magistrate Court to extend his detention for 15 days until the investigation, the Magistrate Court approved the request, and extended the investigation period for 15 days, and present him to a forensic doctor. While Mohanad Karajah stated that during his escort he asked the magistrate to see him, and the court noticed that there were marks on Mohammed’s hands as a result of torture at the intelligence service. Lawyers for justice prevent the political detention and human and human rights defenders, which the General Intelligence Service got used to arrest the human rights activists on these charges and the continued detention will adversely affect detainee educational career. Lawyers for justice calling Berzeit University to take action and to stand with Nasir in order to release him and attend his classes, also to consider this act as a complaint to the Attorney General to open an immediate investigation into the torture.
Mohammed Abu-Hasan
Mohammed Nathmi Mohmoud Abu-Hasan, a journalist arrested by the Preventive Security in Tubas, from his workplace where Mahmoud works as a public relations manager in an electricity company in Tubas. Abu-Hasan was presented to the Public Prosecution on 14/10/2019, the second day on 15/10/2019 his detention was extended for 15 days for possession of a weapon without a license, and then he was transferred from the Preventive Security headquarters in Tubas to the Preventive Security headquarters in Ramallah 17/10/2019, then transferred to the Public Prosecution on 22/10/2019 on charges of collecting and receiving funds, all the investigations were in the presence of lawyer Muhannad Karajeh, and the interrogation was about his work and journalism in one of a Palestinian newspaper, His detention was extended for another 48 hours on 24/10/2019, and then brought to Ramallah Magistrate Court, then his detention was extended for 15 days without taking his activity, journalistic work, family circumstances seriously, and the fact he’s a human rights defender.
Rajaa’ Lahlouh
On 5/3/2018 an early retirement letter from the Ministry of Education, was sent to Ms. Rajaa’ Lahlouh, without sending a warning to her. Ms. Rajaa’ has 14 years experience in teaching, and has a master degree in translation. A letter has been submitted to the Ministry of Education to explain the reasons for her retirement, adding to that 117 is the total number of teachers who got an early retirement, Ms. Rajaa’ decided to visit the minister of education Mr. Awartani on 1/8/2019 and ask by herself about the early retirement, after the discussion he told her that the reason behind your early retirement is because you were one from a group of colleagues active in teacher mobility in 2016. The early retirement decision was used to impose the retirement on the teachers; Ms. Rajaa contacted the human rights institutions to resolve her case, she didn’t contact any lawyer, but unfortunately none of the institutions helped. On 20/10/2019 Ms. Raja protested in front of the Ministry of Education and burned her university degrees, but there was no reaction to this huge step.
Between General intelligence and preventive and occupation.. Fahd Yassin scores dozens of arrests
Without an arrest warrant, with a police manner, the Palestinian intelligence service arrested Fahd Yassin from Tulkarm while he was going to his work, in Tulkarm to Industrial Secondary School on 17/9/2019, Fahad was on his way to school, before arriving to his workplace at 7:30 a.m., he was stopped by a public car, and they asked me to come with them. Fahd says that the car that stopped him was not for the government, and he told lawyers for justice the details of his arrest, saying: “Someone in civilian clothes got out of the car, and said: that he was from the General intelligence service, asking me to come with him, and I told him, you have to prove to me that you are, he showed me his card with his name hidden, and I saw the logo of the General intelligence.” On the other hand the Preventive Security Service in Tulkarm interrogated Fahed on unrelated charges, and the story was originally for someone else who was not in the investigation. Fahed points out that everything was clear to them and they knew very well that he had nothing to do with the charges that were directed at him, however, “the competition in detention and the speculation of the intelligence and preventive agencies against each other at work, prompted the intelligence service to arrest me after obtaining some information that I know, and the subject is a financial issue of union activity within the university, nothing more,” says by Fahed. Fahd stayed 19 days without any proof of the charges against him; in addition they prevented his family from visiting, or him contacting his family and workplace, although he was a new employee and needed to justify the reasons for his absence from work. Fahed assured to lawyers for justice that this time was not the first; Fahed was arrested in 2016 by the security services and stayed there for 51 days, At the time he was about to graduate, and he was deprived of graduation because he could not finish the rest of his credits, and after he was arrested, Israeli soldiers arrested him on 4/1/2019 and stayed for 19 months and paid a fine of 6,000 shekels, the administrative arrests did not end here, but the preventive security forces re-arrested him 40 days after he left. The numbers of Fahed arrests at the Palestinian Intelligence Service were 7 and more than 35 interviews, the first interview was in 2011 and the first arrest was in 2013, while the total arrests at the Preventive Security Service were 2 arrests, and 4 interviews, and the number of arrests in the occupation were 2 arrests and 6 interviews.
Lawyers for justice discovered the legal violations in Suha Jbara’s case
The former political prisoner Suha Jbara is still tried by the criminal court of Jericho, despite the decision of releasing her and the 50,000 Jordanian dinars bail. Although, more than nine trials have been held so far, they are still being tried in a slow proceeding and contrary to the principle of speedy adjudication, which is required by the rules of justice and fair trial standards. According to the Code of criminal procedure No.3 of 2001 the detention was unlawful, and involved the arbitrariness of the authorities in the use of the powers entrusted to them under the provisions of the law, where the law in force required the judicial police to abide by the procedures and abide by the legal controls provided by the legislator, such as obtaining a legal memorandum to fetch or arrest any suspects, taking into account the privacy of any girl being arrested. The lawmaker restricted these cases in narrow cases, including the case of flagrante delicto, which wasn’t achieved in the case of the activist Suha Jbara, and therefore the case of the arrest of Jbara beyond the exception provided by the law in this regard, and therefore the arrest and detention procedures are null and void. Jbara told lawyers for justice that she “was forced during the investigation to sign under threat, confessions on charges that weren’t true, such as collecting and receiving illegal money. She also said: “I was charged with intelligence with the Israeli occupation, and investigators pressed me to admit this charge.” According to these charges, Suha’s lawyer (Mohanad Karajah) said: the investigation was carried out on charges of “collecting and receiving illegal funds,” pointing out that most of the files he investigated with such a charge have not been referred to the competent court, reflecting the lack of seriousness in such files, which often come within the framework of Political arrests by security services against activists, he added, “Suha’s family has previously denied the charges against her.” Mohanad Karajah revealed that the leak of a document of concern to his client, fabricated and falsified, which goes beyond the law and the Public Prosecution, listed the details and facts of the charges against the detainee. Karajah pointed out that the prosecutor usually submits a request to extend the detention before the competent court of the accused for the required period, without explaining the details of the facts and the reasons for the accusation, the statement of the Public Prosecution announced on 22 November, in which it affirmed its commitment to the confidentiality of investigations in order to preserve the conduct of the investigation and to ensure access to completed justice. After interrogating with Suha, she was taken to the detective And then converted to what he called the “slaughterhouse” of Jericho for 4 days, and then transferred to Jericho Central Prison. Mentioning that on 3/11/2018, a Palestinian security force, known as Force 101, arrested the activist Suha Badran Jabara (31 years), after blockade her house by the security force and took her by force to a security center despite the deterioration of her health, at approximately 03:00, the forces surrounded her house for hours before broken into it by force.
Palestinian Security Violates the Palestinian Law by Arresting the Coordinator of “Youth Assembly against Settlements”
The violations of the Palestinian security forces continues by arresting the activists, specially the Popular Resistance Activists, namely Issa Amro, which the Palestinian security forces arrested him in 06/09/2017, against the background of writing a post on social networking site “Facebook”. The coordinator of the human rights initiative “Youth group against settlements” Issa Amro, is considered as an illegal initiative by the Palestinian security services because of the violation it may cause to the Palestinian security services. Issa Amr told lawyers for justice that what he wrote does not affect, or harm, nor infringe on the Palestinian security service pointed out that he has the right to express his opinion freely and other publications on social networking sites. Issa Amro said: “Preventive security forces raided my house on Sunday night, the day before I was arrested,” and I was not at home at that time, I was in the neighborhood of Tel Rumeida, which is threatened by settlement. “ Added to that “They left me a summons to come on Monday morning for the purpose of an interview. I went to the “interview” then I stayed there until evening, then I was told that I was being detained, in the preventive headquarters in Hebron. ” Issa Amro considered the post he wrote as a personal opinion expressing, in which he said “in a journalist with threats from members of the security services against the background of publishing news of the arrest of Ayman al-Qawasmeh, “I wish that every journalist in the country publishes the news because it is 100 percent true and not a rumor, and secondly everyone who was being threaten tell me so we can document for the Europeans and show them how they violate the international law, not everyone should act as a law or a state. The law is clear and unequivocal, the detained journalist Ayman Qawasmeh, there is a district, a society, journalists’ union, and activists who will stop with him, the security men are enforcing laws and regulations. ” Freedom to Ayman Al – Qawasmi.” The decision of Law No. (16) On Cybercrime contains serious provisions that would violate and unjustifiably restrict a range of citizens’ rights and fundamental freedoms, especially their right to freedom of opinion and expression, and their right to privacy is guaranteed by the amended Basic Law, the Declaration of Palestinian Independence and the international human rights conventions to which the State of Palestine is a party. (16, 20, 28, 51), as well as articles (32, 33, 34, 35, 37 -40, 41, 42, 43, 44), these include many provisions that would prejudice the right to privacy and the privacy of citizens’ by living without providing any legal controls, and the most important is judicial authorization, and notifying the accused of these procedures. Under this law, ‘Issa’ Amro was arrested several times from the occupation for his previous work as a researcher at B’Tselem, which is an Israeli non-governmental organization active in documenting human rights violations in the occupied territories, and this reinforced the Palestinian security apparatus by arresting him for his previous activities and writings, which are considered freedom of opinion.