Lawyers for Justice

Postponement of the session regarding the appeal submitted to the Administrative Court by the “Lawyers for Justice” group regarding the decision to restrict its registration.

The Administrative Court in Ramallah decided yesterday, Wednesday, to postpone the court session regarding the appeal filed by “Lawyers for Justice” against the decision to restrict its registration with the Companies Registrar, which the group was notified of on 26-3-2023 until 21-6-2023. In the first session of the trial, the group’s representative presented a portion of their evidence, while also requesting communication with some official departments to provide the court with additional documents and information. The court, on its part, decided to postpone the session in order to consider the group’s representative’s request in this regard. … Lawyers for Justice June 8, 2023

A statement issued by the “Lawyers for Justice” group regarding the summoning of the Public Prosecution of Dr. Azmi Al-Shuaibi, Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Aman Coalition, and Mr. Issam Haj Hussein, Executive Director of the Coalition.

The “Lawyers for Justice” group condemned the summoning of the Public Prosecution in Ramallah yesterday morning, Monday 5.6.2023, to Dr. Azmi Al-Shuaibi, Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Aman Coalition, and Mr. Issam Haj Hussein, Coalition Executive Director, against the background of the fifteenth coalition report published last month entitled “The Occupation, Division, and Political Corruption: A Closed Loop that Feeds Each Other”.  The group considered that the investigation with Al-Shuaibi and Hajj Hussein was based on what was published in the coalition report on what is known as the file of  laundering the dates of the settlement; an attempt to restrict the work of civil society institutions and organizations and obstruct their activity in the context of their oversight role on official performance. The group affirms that the work of civil society organizations is guaranteed and protected by the laws and regulations established in Palestine, including the Palestinian Basic Law, which guarantees the work of organizations without harassment. Accordingly, the group calls on the Ramallah Prosecution Office to immediately retract these measures against the AMAN Coalition, and also affirms that freedom of criticism is guaranteed and may not be restricted in any way, and that the continuation of these measures is against the aforementioned persons. It is an unjustified bias towards repression. At the time, activists and human rights defenders must be protected, and arrest campaigns must be stopped. Lawyers for Justice 6.6.2023  

A statement issued by the “Lawyers for Justice” group regarding the arrest of Tariq Al-Haj Ali, an employee at Birzeit University.

The “Lawyers for Justice” group condemns in the strongest terms the arrest by the General Intelligence Service in Ramallah of the employee at Birzeit University, Tariq Haj Ali, and the confiscation of his car without any legal basis, after he and his wife were intercepted, and intimidated. The General Intelligence arrested Haj Ali in civilian clothes without carrying an arrest warrant, in addition to using excessive force by shooting near his car during his arrest. They also searched his wife’s phone and assaulted her. The group also denounces such arrests, in addition to the brutal method of arrest that accompanies many violations; Whether at the level of local laws or international agreements and treaties. Accordingly; The group calls for the immediate release of the detainee, Hajj Ali, and for those involved in his arrest and the shooting in the vicinity of his vehicle to be held accountable. … Lawyers for Justice 5, June 2023    

Next Wednesday, the first session will be held regarding the administrative appeal submitted by the “Lawyers for Justice” group against the decision of the Ministry of National Economy to restrict the group’s registration as a civil company.

Following the decision issued by the Ministry of National Economy on March 26, 2023 to restrict the registration of the “Lawyers for Justice” group in the corporate registry as a civil company registered with the Ministry of National Economy based on instructions from the General Intelligence agency in Ramallah, the group filed an administrative appeal before the Administrative Court in Ramallah, to cancel the decision and issue a certificate for the year 2023, which will hold its first session on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. in this context; The group confirms what it issued in a previous statement that it operates as a civil company registered with the Ministry of Economy in Ramallah, in line with the decisions and laws in force regarding civil companies to provide legal services and human rights, stated under the Articles of Association of the company with the Company’s Controller. The “Lawyers for Justice” group was also subjected to a systematic series of harassment and incitement that affected its work and its members since the beginning of its work, in an attempt to stop the group from its work in representing and advocating human rights defenders, and political detainees. And documenting the violations they are subjected to. In this context, the group affirms the continuation of its work, which it started in 2011, in defiance of all the harassment it is exposed to. During the month of May, the group followed up 34 cases of arrest against different backgrounds, distributed as follows: (23) Arrests on the basis of political and partisan pluralism, (4) Arrests on the Basis of Peaceful Assembly, (4) Arrests on the basis of student union work, (3) Arrests based on freedom of opinion and expression. In conclusion; Lawyers for Justice calls on colleagues in local and international human rights institutions to support the group in its legal quest to annul the administrative decision to freeze its registration, which came at the request of the General Intelligence Service. … Lawyers for Justice 3, June 2023

The security agencies are trying to legitimize the arrest of the detainees by fabricating criminal cases against them in the courts in order to justify their arrest.

The “Lawyers for Justice” group denounced the apparent deterioration in the human rights situation in the West Bank, and the consequent refusal of court decisions to release political detainees by the security services, which are trying to legitimize the detention of detainees by fabricating criminal cases. against them in the courts to justify their arrest.   In this context, the “Lawyers for Justice” group was surprised by the insistence of the General Intelligence agency in Jericho to arrest the political detainee, and the released prisoner from the occupation prisons, Moamen Al-Qaraawi, from Nur Shams camp, who works as an English language teacher.    Although two decisions were issued by the Jericho Magistrate Court to release Qaraawi, these two decisions were appealed or reconsidered to legitimize his detention.   It is noteworthy that Al-Qaraawi was arrested on May 8, 2023 by members of the General Intelligence agency in Tulkarm, before being transferred to the Intelligence headquarters in Jericho. … Lawyers for Justice June 1, 2023  

Today, Sunday, the Ramallah Special Military Court postponed the trial of the defendants in the case of the murder of political dissident Nizar Banat until May 28, 2023.

Today, Sunday, May 7, 2023, the Special Military Court in Ramallah postponed the trial session of 14 members of the Preventive Security Service accused of killing the political dissident, and the candidate for the canceled legislative elections; the martyr Nizar Banat.     The session was held in the presence of the full court, the representative of the Military Prosecution, thirteen out of the fourteen defendants, their lawyers, the “Lawyers for Justice” group attended the session as an observer of fair trial guarantees, in addition to the presence of some colleagues representing local and international institutions, and embassies for the same purpose.   While the defense lawyer submitted to the court a medical report issued by Hebron Governmental Hospital – Heart Department dated 5/6/2023, in which it was stated that the first defendant “He came to Hebron Governmental Hospital – Department of Cardiology suffering from severe chest pains. He was examined and it was decided to perform an urgent catheterization.” Requesting the court to consider the absence of the first accused for a legitimate excuse, and in conclusion, the court decided to consider his absence for a legitimate excuse, and the session was postponed to May 28, 2023.     Accordingly; The “Lawyers for Justice” group calls on local and international human rights institutions to attend the upcoming sessions to ensure that they are conducted impartially and without delay. … Lawyers for Justice May 7, 2023    

Today, Monday, the Special Military Court in Ramallah postponed the trial of the defendants in the case of the murder of political activist Nizar Banat until March May 7, 2023.

Today, Monday,March 13, 2023, a session was held in the Special Military Court in Ramallah, for those accused of killing the political activist and candidate for the canceled legislative elections, the martyr Nizar Banat.   The session was held in the presence of the full court, the representatives of the Military Prosecution, the fourteen defendants. The “Lawyers for Justice” group attended the session as an observer of fair trial guarantees, in addition to the presence of some colleagues representing local and international institutions, and embassies for the same purpose.   For all this, and due to the strike of the Palestinian Bar Association, the court decided to postpone the lawsuit proceedings until May 7, 2023. … Lawyers for Justice March 13, 2023

In conjunction with International Women’s Day, “Lawyers for Justice” group launches an urgent appeal to stop the prosecution of activist Dr. Zahra Khdrouj.

The “Lawyers for Justice” group condemns the repeated and almost daily summons carried out by the Palestinian security agencies against the feminist and political activist, Dr. Zahra Khdrouj, and the executive director of the Asfour Cultural Center.   According to the activist Khdrouj; The campaign of continuous harassment against her by the Palestinian Authority security services began, since last June, three weeks after the opening of the Asfour Cultural Center, registered with the Ministry of National Economy, which began with being summoned by the Preventive Security Service in Qalqilya, and interrogated about the center’s cultural, national and political activities that usually target children and youth.   The activist Khdrouj added; After her appearance before the Preventive Security Service for the first time, the summons that the Palestinian security services carried out against her were repeated, and it became almost daily. However, she refused to appear after the first time, and after that the harassment varied to include inciting the guests of the center not to attend its activities, in addition to issuing a  decision to seize the on her bank accounts last August.   In the same context, the harassment of the activist Khdrouj was not limited to the harassment of the Palestinian security services only, but also extended to violations and harassment by the occupation, to prevent her from traveling, and entering the occupied territories.   Therefore, in conjunction with International Women’s Day; The “Lawyers for Justice” group launched an urgent appeal to stop the prosecution of activist Dr. Khdrouj, and calls on all local and international institutions to put pressure on the Palestinian Authority to stop pursuing her, and to enable her to complete her activities. … Lawyers for Justice March 10, 2023

The “Lawyers for Justice” group condemns the continued campaign of arrests by the security agencies against citizens and political activist

#statement #Suppression_of_freedoms   The “Lawyers for Justice” group condemns the continued campaign of arrests by the security agencies against citizens and political activists, which has increased since the beginning of this year.   The group indicates that, since the beginning of the year, it has monitored the arrest and summons of tens of citizens as part of the policy of suppressing freedoms, which has taken a dangerous turn since the summer of 2021, following the assassination of the political activist, Nizar Banat.   The group notes that the policy of suppressing freedoms clearly extends to public rights and freedoms, including freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of political affiliation, which are constitutional rights that must be respected and preserved.   In this context, the group condemns what the security forces have done since the day before yesterday by suppressing the press conference that was supposed to be hosted by the Watan Agency, and preventing it from taking place. In addition to the arrest of student and journalist Moath Washaha by the Palestinian General Intelligence in Ramallah. The group also condemns the arrest of political activist Ammar Banat yesterday by the security agencies who do not wear military uniforms, without presenting an arrest warrant that would allow them to arrest Banat.   Due to the inability of lawyers to represent citizens arbitrarily detained outside the scope of the law before the Public Prosecution and the courts due to the strike of the Bar Association, the group refers to the “use of the right of silence” that allows every detainee not to answer any questions during interrogation before the Public Prosecution The group also confirms the illegality of any interrogation or investigation carried out by the security agencies, as it is a non-competent body and has no authority to investigate or arrest without an official arrest warrant. Accordingly, the group calls for the immediate release of all detainees in all cities, respect for judicial rulings, and an end to the policy of suppressing freedoms.   Lawyers for Justice March, 3 2023

Yesterday, Sunday, the Special Military Court in Ramallah postponed the trial of the defendants in the case of the murder of political dissident Nizar Banat until March 13, 2023.

Yesterday, Sunday, February 26, 2023, a session was held in the Special Military Court in Ramallah, for those accused of killing the political opponent and candidate for the canceled legislative elections, the martyr Nizar Banat. The session was held in the presence of the full court, the representative of the Military Prosecution, and thirteen of the fourteen defendants. The “Lawyers for Justice” group attended the session as an observer of fair trial guarantees, in addition to the presence of some colleagues representing local and international institutions for the same purpose. The group noted the absence of the defense lawyer due to a comprehensive strike by the Bar Association, as well as the absence of the fourteenth defendant (Y.A), whose absence was justified by the Military Prosecution by the death of one of his relatives. Based on the foregoing, the court postponed the case until March 13, 2023 due to the strike in the Bar Association, provided that the fourteenth defendant and his lawyer are notified of the date of the next session. … Lawyers for Justice February 27, 2023