Lawyers for Justice weekly report – last week of January
On Sunday, January 23, 2022, the Magistrate Court in Nablus issued a decision to release Ahmed Yamin, Ahmed Dweikat, Ibrahim Shatara, and Muhammad Hussein on a cash bail of 200 and a personal guarantee of 3000 dinars. -On Monday, January 24, 2022, the Magistrate’s Court in Nablus issued a decision to release Musab Hanaisheh on bail of 2,000 Jordanian dinars. On Monday, January 24, 2022, the Magistrate’s Court in Nablus issued a decision to release Imad Khatatbeh on personal bail. On Monday, January 24, 2022, the Magistrate’s Court in Nablus issued a decision to release Ziad Al-Kilani, Raed Shawar, Osama Najm, and Ahmed Qutait on a personal bail of 5000 dinars. On Tuesday, January 25, 2022, the Ramallah Magistrate’s Court issued a decision to release Zuhdi Dannoun on a personal bail of 2,000 Jordanian dinars. Lawyers for Justice group is pursuing the arrest of Muhammad Nihad Abu Al-Aish from Qalqilya, who was arrested after being summoned for an interview on January 16, 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.
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.