A position issued by the Lawyers for Justice group on the security services’ suppression of the demonstration demanding the release of political detainees
Lawyers for Justice followed with great concern the events in Nablus, the suppression of the Palestinian security services to the demonstration, demanding the release of political detainees, the arrest of some demonstrators, firing gas bombs at them, as well as the assault on journalists while they were covering this demonstration. The group monitored the practice of the security forces as a suppression of freedom of opinion and expression, which contravenes article (19) of the Palestinian basic law, which states, “There is no prejudice to freedom of opinion, and every person has the right to express and publish his opinion verbally, in writing, or by other means of expression or art taking into account the provisions of the law.” It also contravenes Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers” Lawyers for Justice also condemns the continuation of political arrests, and the assault on journalists while carrying out their duties and conveying the truth to citizens. Accordingly; Lawyers for Justice group asserts that the repression of any peaceful demonstration is an assault on a constitutional right, and an explicit violation of the Palestinian basic law that guarantees public freedoms for citizens within the scope of the law, and renews the call to guarantee freedom of opinion and expression, and guarantee freedom of affiliation, work and political participation which guaranteed by the basic law, And human rights agreements to which the Palestinian Authority committed itself. … Lawyers for Justice January 10, 2023
Despite the allegations of torture raised by the political detainee, Mazyid Saqf Al-Hait; Nablus Magistrate Court extends his detention for five days
The Nablus Magistrate Court extended the detention of the political activist and critic of the Palestinian Authority, Mazyid Saqf Al-Hait, for a period of five days. The Preventive Security in Nablus had arrested Saqf Al-Hait on January 7, after his arrest, the Preventive Security stormed his house and searched his belongings. Today, Saqf Al-Hait told the court, in the presence of Lawyers for Justice, that he was beaten and ill-treated during his arrest and during his detention at the Preventive Security Service, but the court extended his detention under the pretext of the seriousness of the charge to the public order and security. Accordingly, Lawyers for Justice is deeply concerned about the continued detention of the activist Saqfi al-Hait, which may be a prelude to the Preventive Security forces continuing to torture him. … Lawyers for Justice January 10, 2023
Signing a memorandum of understanding with the legal clinic at the Faculty of Law and Public Administration at Birzeit University
Yesterday, Monday ,January 9, 2023, Lawyers for Justice signed a memorandum of understanding with the legal clinic at the Faculty of Law and Public Administration at Birzeit University, for the purposes of defining the foundations of joint cooperation between the two parties, and in particular the mechanisms of working with the legal clinic unit in the college. The memorandum was signed by the representative of Birzeit University, Dr. Mahmoud Dodin / Dean of the Faculty of Law, and a representative of the Lawyers for Justice group, Lawyer Muhannad Karajah / Director of the group, in the presence of Lawyer Thafer Saida from the group. head of the law department, Dr. Muhammad Al-Qaisi. And assistant professor dean Noor Matour. The supervisor of the legal clinic, professor Muhammad Khader. And research and teaching assistants in the legal clinic. Dr. Dodin welcomed representatives of the “Lawyers for Justice” group, and pointed out the importance of signing this memorandum, in addition to the importance and role of the group in defending cases of political and administrative detention, especially defending the cases of Birzeit University students. He also asserted that this memorandum is the culmination of continuous cooperation between the college and the group. For his part, lawyer Muhannad highlighted the importance of the partnership with Birzeit University in enhancing and developing the students’ practical skills, in addition to spreading the societal legal culture, specifically in the field of political and administrative detention cases. He also referred to the reality and contribution of the legal clinic students in working on the cases that the group is currently working on. In his turn, Lawyer Thafer commented on the practical reality and issues of political detention and the role of the various State Apparatuses in these cases, and pointed out the importance of concerted efforts to discuss these issues from different angles, and the role of the diverse academic environment in providing the foundations for this discussion. Muhammad Al-Khidr asserted the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties in defining the clinic’s strategies and work mechanisms in implementing its activities in a way that leads to achieving its goals and objectives, and pointed to the clinic’s role in creating different communication channels between the academic and applied community sides, in order to qualify students and achieve their benefits. For his part, the Head of the Law Department, Dr. Al-Qaisi stated that this memorandum will be a basis for developing the benefits and relationship with the Lawyers for Justice group, whether in terms of developing students’ abilities or in terms of developing the academic path of the college, and this partnership will be taken into account when reviewing the plans and activities of the department in the future. It is noteworthy that strengthening the relationship with the legal clinic at Birzeit University aims to expand the areas of future cooperation and comes within the framework of the institutionalization of the legal clinic which activities are supported by the United Nations Development Program, the Sawasya 2 project, and helps in enhancing its ability to provide legal services to vulnerable groups and also to develop students’ practical skills through their participation in programs based on dealing with real issues and developing legal and human rights initiatives in order to strengthen the rule of law and respect for human rights, monitoring fair trial guarantees, confronting human rights violations, advocating human rights issues. … Lawyers for Justice January 10, 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
A decision to release the political detainee, Salama Abdel-Jawad
The Nablus Magistrate Court issued a decision to release the political detainee, Salama Abdel-Jawad, on a commercial warranty of 2000 Jordanian dinars. The Preventive Security had arrested Salama Abdel-Jawad on December 29, 2022, and referred his case to the Public Prosecution, which charged him with political charges. During his detention, Salama Abdel-Gawad was subjected to torture and ill-treatment by members of the Preventive Security. … 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
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 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.