Lawyers for Justice

“Lawyers for Justice” group is following with great concern the flagrant violations of the human rights situation in the case of political detainee Basil Flayan.

“Lawyers for Justice” group is following up with great concern the flagrant violations in the case of the political, administrative detainee, Basil Flayan. Despite obtaining two release decisions from the Ramallah magistrate court, these decisions were as if they were not with the general intelligence. But the general intelligence refuses to abide by the court’s decisions to release him. Back on December 13, 2022, the general intelligence arrested Flayan as part of a wide campaign of political arrests launched by the Palestinian security services, and kept him in administrative detention, without going through the necessary legal procedures until December 22, 2022, when they referred his case to the Public Prosecution, which charged him with political charges, Until “Lawyers for Justice” group obtained a release decision in favor of Flayan from the Ramallah magistrate court; However, the general intelligence refused to release him, and on January 8, 2023, the general intelligence referred a new case to the Public Prosecution, which they had attached to him, and again, the Public Prosecution charged him with a new charge of a political nature, Until January 17, 2023, when he obtained a release decision after the group and his family completed the guarantee procedures, but again, the general intelligence is intransigent and refuses to implement the court’s decision to release Flayan, and keeps him in administrative detention without charging him with any charge, or presenting him to a court or public procuratorate , or be released. Accordingly, “Lawyers for Justice” group holds the general intelligence responsible for the life of detainee Flayan, especially after the allegations of torture he raised before the extension judge, and that the continued illegal and administrative detention of detainee Flayan may be evidence of his continued torture. Hence, we consider this statement as a communication to the Attorney General to report an illegally detained person as stated in the text of Article (128) of the Code of Criminal Procedures, and accordingly we ask the Attorney General to open an investigation into the illegal arrest of the detainee, And then take all the necessary legal measures represented in the immediate release of Flyan. … Lawyers for Justice January 23, 2023

An urgent appeal for the release of political detainee Basil Flayan

Update: Despite the obtainment of two decisions to release the political detainee and released prisoner, Basil Flayan, and his previous detention before being referred to court for a period of nine days illegally, and the allegations of torture he raised, the General Intelligence is intransigent and refuses to abide by court decisions to release Flayan. Accordingly, “Lawyers for Justice” group regrets the continuous decline in the level of the human rights situation in the West Bank, and the exclusiveness of the executive authority in issuing decisions and implementing them as it pleases. And considering this brief statement as an urgent appeal to all human rights institutions, local and international, to press for the immediate release of the detainee Flayan, and all those detained illegally and arbitrarily. … Lawyers for Justice January 17, 2023

Postponing the trial session of those accused of killing the martyr Nizar Banat until January 29, 2023

Today, January 15, 2023, a trial session was held for the 14 members of the preventive security, accused of killing the martyr Nizar Banat, in the Special Military Court. The fourteen defendants were represented in this session, in addition to the presence of a representative of the military prosecution, and a lawyer from “Lawyers for Justice” group as an observer of fair trial guarantees, in addition to some colleagues representatives of human rights institutions, and it was noted that the defense attorney was absent. In this session, the representative of the military prosecution submitted to the special court a letter issued by the Palestinian Bar Association stating that there is a strike and suspension of work before the courts, and based on that, he requested to postpone the court session, which the court postponed until January 29, 2023. Accordingly, the “Lawyers for Justice” group considers this statement as an invitation to human rights organizations, local and international, to attend the next court session, to ensure that the sessions proceed fairly and without delay. … Lawyers for Justice January 15, 2023

Four release decisions issued by courts that the executive authority did not care about, followed by detention at the discretion of the governor, in which the political prisoner loses his grandmothers without allowing them to say goodbye to them.

The “Lawyers for Justice” group has followed up the detention of the political detainee, Muhammad Allawi, since September 1, 2022, by the Palestinian security agencies, During which he obtained his first release order from the Nablus Magistrate Court on September 12, 2022, indeed, he was released, until he went to collect his deposits the next day, and the security agencies re-arrested him without a legal basis. After that, he obtained three release decisions. Two from the Nablus Magistrate Court, and one from the Jericho Magistrate Court, but these decisions were not implemented. Allawi is now languishing in the security committee headquarter in Jericho, after he was arbitrarily and illegally arrested by the governor of Nablus, in a grave violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure. According to the allegations of his relatives; Allawi is going through a very bad psychological state, because of his arrest, and his continued detention for a period of more than four months, and his presence in the headquarters of the security committee reflected negatively on his psyche. In addition, his arrest at the headquarter of the security committee is in violation of the provisions of Article (182) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits the transfer of spatial jurisdiction to any court except with certain controls, and that is when its consideration in the circuit of the competent court would prejudice public security. On December 10, 2022, Allawi’s family met, as well as the families of the rest of the illegally detained political detainees, and they went out in a peaceful march; However, this march was suppressed by the Palestinian security agencies. About a month ago, Allawi’s grandmother passed away, and he was prevented from saying goodbye to her and/or participating in the funeral ceremonies. In the same context, at dawn yesterday his second grandmother died, and he was also prevented from having a farewell look. Accordingly; The “Lawyers for Justice” group considers this statement as a notification to the Attorney General or one of his assistants, first to report an illegally arrested detainee, and also to speed up his release so that he can participate in his grandmother’s funeral ceremonies. … Lawyers for Justice January 13, 2023  

Lawyers For Justice met today with the director of the European Union’s political affairs department

Lawyers for Justice met today with the director of the European Union’s political affairs department, Mr. Ramesh De Silva, to discuss the human rights situation in the West Bank, Mr. de Silva explained the role of the European Union in protecting human rights, protecting human rights defenders in Palestine, and facilitating the work of the Lawyers for Justice group. In his role, lawyer Muhannad Karajeh, Director of Lawyers for Justice, explained the violations against human rights in the West Bank , as well as the group’s role in defending human rights defenders in the West Bank since the group’s founding in 2011. Mr. de Silva conveyed the concern of the European Union about the human rights violations reported by the Lawyers for Justice group, and renewed the European Union’s support for the group, and at the same time the European Union’s interest in reviewing such violations, to transfer them to the Palestinian Authority to pressure at them to stop it. … Lawyers for Justice January 11, 2023

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

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

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.