Lawyers for Justice

Trial postponed for those accused of killing activist Nizar Banat

Today, Sunday, February 13, 2022, The Lawyers for Justice group followed up the postponement of the trial session for those accused of assassinating activist Nizar Banat, due to the defendants’ refusal to attend, according to a letter from the Military Intelligence Legal Adviser that arrived at the Military Prosecution this morning. Accordingly, the court decided to postpone the hearing until February 27, 2022, while informing the Military Prosecution and Military Intelligence to bring them forcibly if they continued to refuse to appear before the court.

The trial session for those accused of killing the activist Nizar Banat on January 31, 2022

On Monday, January 31, 2022, the Lawyers for Justice group attended the trial session of the accused of killing the activist Nizar Banat at the Military Court in Ramallah, as a human rights observer, in the presence of the 14 defendants, the defense attorney for the defendants, the representative of the Military Prosecution, and the lawyer for the Nizar Banat family. During the session, the court heard the defense witness, “S.Sh” an expert in information security, as he described it, and discussed him in his testimony about the CCTV clips related to the killing of activist Nizar Banat, as written in an experience report submitted by the witness to the court. In response to the question of the representative of the Military Prosecution regarding whether the witness recorded everything he saw in the clips, the witness replied: “Almost. And I summarized the information based on questions put to me by the defense on my report. In response to the court’s question about the reason for using the word Dragging to express the movement of the late Nizar Banat, the witness replied: “From the clips, it seemed to me that they dragged him, and does not walk with his own free will. He was not walking normally, he was also not drawn, but his steps were in tune with the group around him. The defense lawyer asked the court to send a letter to Al-Ahly Hospital in Hebron to provide the court, the prosecution, and the defense lawyer with the complete medical file of the late Nizar Banat. He also told the court that he would present an unknown witness during the next session set by the court on February 13, 2022

More than a year and a half ago.. the trial of journalist Anas Hawari continued to be postponed

The Magistrate Court in Tulkarm postponed the trial of journalist Anas Hawari, which is supposed to take place on Sunday, January 23, 2022, until March 23, 2022, due to the absence of the witness. Wherefore, the court decided to re-notify the witness who is a member of the intelligence service. In May 2020, the security services beat and arrested the journalist Hawari for nearly a week, after which his trial sessions began on six charges alleged by the prosecution: directing disparagement to employees, contempt of an employee on the head of his duty, Violently resisting an employee, slander the authority, violating the emergency law of 2020, and obstructing law enforcement agencies, maintaining public order, and competent crews during the declaration of a state of emergency. Lawyers for Justice group stresses that the charges against journalist Anas Hawari are nothing but a cover for attempts to restrict his journalistic work and restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression. The group also recalls the beatings and assaults that the journalist Hawari went through during his arrest. And the attempts of repression and restrictions that the journalist is witnessing. Moreover, the group denounces the continued adjournment of the court for more than a year and a half for the lack of witnesses and points out that the delay in the litigation procedures constitutes a violation of the guarantee of a fair trial.

Lawyers for Justice group condemns the continued harassment of journalists and the conviction of journalist Abdel Rahman Zaher

The Lawyers for Justice group followed up the sentencing session on the case of Palestinian journalist and filmmaker Abdel Rahman Zaher from Nablus, where they prosecuted him on three charges that affect the essence of his professional journalistic work and restricts freedom of opinion and expression. These charges include: “Dissemination of information that incites racial strife through the electronic network, and transmitting news by any of the different means of communication with the intent of causing panic and slander against the authority.” While the group was able to obtain an acquittal on two charges, which are: Publishing information inciting racial strife through the electronic network, and the transmission news by any means of communication with the intent of causing panic, it condemns what the court decided to convict journalist Abdul Rahman Zahir for defaming the authority, and sentenced him to 3 months in prison and a fine. The group also notes that the conviction decision reinforces the restriction of freedom of work for journalist Abdel Rahman Zahir, whose case was opened with his detention for 35 days at the Preventive Security Service in August 2020, during which he suffered from severe health conditions. A few days after his release, the occupation arrested him as part of his fight against the free Palestinian media and persecution of Palestinian journalists. Moreover, the Israeli occupation interrogated him on the same charges he faced during his political detention at the Preventive Security Service. Lawyers for Justice group condemns the court’s conviction decision, which restricts press freedoms and media work and freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed in the Palestinian Basic Law and international agreements signed by the State of Palestine. The group also requests local and international media and press organizations, and human rights and civil institutions to pay attention to the seriousness of what the Palestinian journalist faces, from both the prosecution of the security services and the Israeli occupation, which threatens the Palestinian journalistic reality and public freedoms.

Lawyers for Justice Group obtains acquittal of 15 activists, and postpones 7 more sessions due to the absence of witnesses

Lawyers for Justice Group followed up 8 court sessions for 33 activists and human rights defenders against their participation in the “Enough is enough” movement in 2020, and the demonstrations condemning the assassination of activist Nizar Banat. In addition to following up on a court session filed against activist Jihad Abdo for opinion and expression. The group was able to obtain a verdict of acquittal for 11 activists who participated in the demonstrations condemning the assassination of the activist Girls in August 2021; they are (Ghassan Al-Saadi, Muhammad Abdo, Jihad Abdo, Abi Al-Abedawi, Mu’in Al-Barghouti, Imad Al-Barghouti, Youssef Sharqawi, Nayef Al-Hashlamoun, Ibrahim Abu Hijleh, Youssef Amr, Omar Safi). On other hand, the group was able to obtain an acquittal for 4 activists who participated in the demonstrations condemning the assassination of activist Banat in August 2021; are (Mohammed Al-Attar, Khaldoun Bishara, Abdel Hamid Haroun, Ahmed Abu Nasser). The court also postponed 4 sessions of activists who are prosecuted for their participation in the “Enough is enough” movement in 2020 to March 16, 2022, due to the absence of witnesses. For the same reason, a court session for activists participating in the demonstrations condemning the assassination of activist Banat, and a court session for activist Jihad Abdo, was postponed.However, another court session for activists who participated in the demonstrations condemning the assassination of activist Banat was postponed to April 4, 2022, due to the absence of witnesses from the court. Accordingly, while the Lawyers for Justice group celebrates obtaining acquittal decisions against 15 activists, it deprecates the continued absence of witnesses (members in the security services) from the courts, which leads to a prolongation of the litigation in violation of fair trial guarantees. The group states that the activists are being prosecuted for their rights of opinion and expression guaranteed in the Palestinian Basic Law and human rights agreements to which Palestine is a party.

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.

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.