Lawyers for Justice

Press release: Nomination of human rights activist Diala Ayesh for the award of Index of Censorship – Freedom of Expression Awards.

Lawyers for justice group is proudly announcing the nominations of our collogue Diala Ayesh for the award of Index of Censorship – Freedom of Expression Awards. For her role in advocacy for the freedom and fair treatment of political prisoners. She has faced arrest, threats, and harassment from both the Israeli occupation forces and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Since 2018, Diala has monitored the suppression, arrest, or persecution of those exercising their human rights and also represented many of those who have been targeted. This includes those arrested during peaceful gatherings or protests and cultural institutions, such as Ashtar Theater, which faced severe suppression during a march in Ramallah in July 2022. Diala has also provided advice to women journalists who faced persecution by Palestinian security agencies and supported the advocacy campaign calling for the release of arrested university students. Following the Hamas 7 October attacks and Israel’s retaliation in Gaza, Diala had continued her work providing legal advice and visiting Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. On 17 January 2024, Israeli military forces arrested Diala Ayesh as she passed through a military checkpoint in the West Bank. On 25 January, she was issued with a four-month administrative detention order by the Israeli military’s Central Command for the occupied West Bank. It has been reported that the order was given without any charge or trial, and she did not appear before a court. This administrative detention order did not include any specific charges. The military court upheld this order, extending it for another four months until 17 May. It was subsequently renewed for an additional four months. According to her lawyers, Diala was subjected to assault, threats, and insults by Israeli soldiers during her arrest. During the first week of her arrest, Diala Ayesh was denied access to her lawyer and any phone calls. Her lawyer could only see her once on 23 January 2024. Since her arrest, her family has not heard from her, and they are not allowed to call or visit her. We wish our colleague all the best and hope for her winning the award for her dedicated work and her beliefs. Till here, Issued in 4-11-2024. Lawyers for Justice.

Lawyers for Justice Group condemns the continued detention of the Mazayed Saqf Al-Hayat

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Lawyers for Justice Group condemns the continued detention of the human rights activist and political critic Mazayed Saqf Al-Hayat since 15-10-2024. The detention of the activist Mazayed is the third time this year follows ongoing defamation and incitement campaigns against him, on the background of his exercise of freedom of opinion and expression and criticism of the Palestinian Authority’s policies. Mazayed was indicted on charges of provoking sectarian nudity, wrongdoing against the authorities, defamation by using electronic means and demeaning the authorities on 21-10-2024. The Nablus Magistrates’ Court continues to refuse the release the activist to suspend his activities in the public order and security. Lawyers for Justice has appealed against decisions to reject the release, but the court has dismissed the appeal and kept the activist detained. Lawyers for Justice cautioned against the persistence of the repressive approach to issues of opinion and expression, which had become a threat to human rights and called on the Group to respect the detainee’s rights and not to be subjected to it and to ensure that he received a fair trial and his immediate release. Issued in 21-10-2024, Till here, Lawyers for Justice.

Postponement the murder trial of political – human rights activist Nizar Banat.

  A court session was held yesterday, Monday 3rd of June 2024, at Ramallah’s Military Court in the Case of those accused of the murder of political and human rights activist Nizar Banat, during the session which was held in the presence of 14 accused members of Preventative Security services, the defense counsel requested to be given a while to bring witnesses who requested to be brought to the previous hearing. The said agent also requested to address the Aaliyah State Hospital in Hebron in order to bring him with a book showing whether electrical inconveniences had been performed to resuscitate the activist Banat when he was brought to the said hospital; The court rejected the defendant’s request to address the hospital. In response to his request for a witness, the trial was postponed until 1-7-2024. Till here, Issues in 4-6-2024 Lawyers for Justice  

The release of the detained student at Arab American University Hamam Al-Haj

The General Intelligence Service released student Hamam al-Haj at the Arab American University yesterday on Wednesday, 29-5-2024, he was detained back on the 5-5-2024, on the background of his trade union and student activities. The Jenin Magistrates’ Court had pronounced Hamam’s release on 16-5-2024, but the General Intelligence Service refused to execute the release order issued by the Jenin Magistrate, and kept him arrested by the director of the General Intelligence Service. Lawyers for Justice considers that the arrest of detainees under the supervision of the security services is an unlawful arrest and action and involves an offence prescribed by law, namely the refusal to implement a 14-day judicial decision and the imprisonment of liberty without legitimate justification. The Group also considers that the said measure contravenes the Constitutional Court’s decision in Constitutional Case No. (18/2022) issued in the 25/1/2023, which earlier annulled the administrative arrest of the Governor and repealed articles of the Jordanian Crime Prevention Law No. (7) Of 1954, which used to allow the violation of the guarantees of a fair trial. Till here, Issued in 30/5/2024. Lawyers for Justice.

Confirmation of a new warrant for Diala Ayesh upon the request of Military Occupation Prosecutor

On Thursday morning, 23-5-2024, the Military Court of Ofar Occupational Prison held a new session to confirm the administrative arrest warrant for the second time against lawyer and human rights defender Diala Ayesh. During the hearing, the military prosecutor requested the confirmation of a new order for the administrative detention of lawyer Ayesh for a period of 4 months without disclosing the reasons under a secret file, according to the military occupation prosecutor. This extension came after the lawyer Ayesh spent 4 months in administrative detention, following her arrest at a military checkpoint in the south of the occupied West Bank on 16 January 2024, and days after the military court rejected an appeal by her counsel to release her and prevent the extension. Administrative arrest warrants issued by the military courts of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian prisoners, which are based on the Mandatory Emergency Law, are considered to be a violation of fair trial guarantees, a derogation of the right to self-determination, all of which are guaranteed under human rights conventions and treaties. Till here Lawyers for Justice issued in 27-5-2024.

Nablus Magistrate’s Court has extended the arrest of the citizen Muzed Saqf Alhayt for 15 days upon the request of the Nablus Prosecutor’s Office

Thursday 23-5-2024, The Nablus Magistrate’s Court, extended the arrest of the citizen Muzed Saqf Alhayt for 15 days upon the request of the Nablus Prosecutor’s Office for the purpose of completing the investigation. On Wednesday 22-5-2024, the Nablus Preventive Security Service arrested the human rights activist Saqf Alhayt , after breaking into his house and attacked him with rifle butts on his head and body, and insulted him in front of his wife and children. His arrest came after a campaign of incitement and threats targeted by social media groups by Palestinian Security Agency, this was a part of a policy of targeting human rights defenders with the goal of intimidating them to prevent activists from expressing their opinions guaranteed by Palestinian Constitutional Law. This arrest isn’t the first one to Saqf Alhayt against the backdrop of his political views and expression of opinion, where he is currently is being tried before the Palestinian judiciary for contempt of power, against the backdrop of criticism of the Palestinian Authority, but is remarkable in this arrest; Severe beatings, which have become a threat to his life. During the interrogation on Thursday morning of 23-5-2024 in front of the Nablus Prosecutor’s Office, the activist further raised his continued beatings and torture by the Preventive Security Service. This was documented in the interrogation transcript. Nevertheless, the Prosecutor’s Office took no action to protect him from beatings and torture. Lawyers for Justice considers the conduct of the Public Prosecutor ‘ Represents a disregard for the safety and security of detainees held by security services against the background of their human rights activity and expression of opinion. The group cautions that such conduct gives legal cover to repression and torture, The group therefore calls on the Public Prosecutor Office to intervene in order to protect the detainee, and release him immediately and ensure that his arrest does not continue at his current detention center. This statement is considered an urgent appeal for immediate intervention Lawyers For Justice notes that since the beginning of May, dozens of citizens have been arrested in the largest toll of detainees against a political background and the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression since the beginning of Israel’s aggression against the Gaza Strip on October 7. This calls into question the seriousness of the new Palestinian Government’s announcement on improving the situation of public rights and freedoms. Till here, Lawyers for Justice issued in 27/5/2024.

Postponement of trial of alleged murderers of political and human rights activist Nizar Banat.

  The trial of the accused in the case of the murder of political and human rights activist Nizar Banat was held at the Ramallah Military Court on Monday, 20-5-2024 During the trial, the defense counsel of all 14 previously released defendants, presented to the court witness Samir Abu Zarour, who’s retired since 2017. He was the head of the autopsy department of the Ministry of Justice. prior to his retirement in 2017. He represented the Independent Human Rights Commission in attendance at the autopsy of the late Nizar Banat following his murder on 24 July 2021 without participating in the autopsy. During the ongoing trial since September 2021, the court heard the testimony of the doctor and he was discussed by the defense counsel and the military prosecution. He also stated that he hadn’t applied for the examination, and what can be highlighted in this context is the assertion by the defense witness of the accused that the cause of death of Nizar Banat was due to an abnormal cause of death. In addition to determining the proportion of injuries on the dead person’s body by 21% of the body area, Distributed on the head, face and shoulder from the back, upper and lower limbs and back area, The witness also stated that these blows to the deceased’s body did not result to death, according to him. And the witness concluded that the cause of death, according to the autopsy committee, was caused by traumatic trauma resulting in death, the cause of death, from the witness’ point of view, was due to asphyxiation because of congestion in the face of the deceased, as described. At the end of the trial proceedings, the defense counsel requested to notice a witness and to be brought, and also requested that the next trial hearing be confidential, so that the testimony of the said witness would relate to national security, for that reasons, next hearing was postponed to 3.6-2024. In this context, Lawyer for Justice considers that the holding of the trial to be confidential contravenes the revolutionary Code of Criminal Procedure in force of 1979 and its amendments. Till here, Lawyers for Justice Issued in 21/5/2024.

Postponement the murder trial of political – human rights activist Nizar Banat.

Postponement the murder trial of political – human rights activist Nizar Banat. Lawyers for Justice pursues the course of the trial of the accused  of killing political and human rights activist Nizar Banat, which was held on 6-5-2024 in front the military court in Ramallah. In accordance with the facts and circumstances, the Military court in Ramallah postponed the hearing pending notification of the next hearing by the Defense counsel which was appointed on 20-5-2024, a further hearing was held on 26-4-2024 and was postponed on 6-5-2024 for the same reason that the defendants’ defense counsel was not present. Lawyers for Justice appoints that the trial of 14 preventative security agents who are accused of killing activist Nizar Banat were released on 21-6-2022 by decision of the Military Public Prosecutor in conjunction with the first anniversary of their murder, no substantive proceedings have taken place in the case file in more than eight months, This would disrupt the trial proceedings and hinder access to the objective of the trial, the first session of the trial was held on 14-9-2021 after more than two and a half months of the assassination incident on the 24-6_2021 during the break-in by a security force of the Palestinian Preventive Security of the activists house at dawn hours and was severely beaten using iron and gas that led to his death, on the background of criticism by Palestinian Authority political officials. In this context, lawyers for justice stresses the need to expedite trial proceedings in earnest and to ensure that justice is served, particularly almost three years after the activist’s killing and more than two and a half years since the beginning  of the trial. Lawyers for justice, Issued in 8/5/2024.

Public opinion statement issued by Lawyers for Justice about the murder of the citizen Ahmad Abu Al Foul

Lawyers for Justice condemns the shooting of the citizen Ahmad Abu Al Foul that took place in Tulkarem Wednesday’ s night 1/5/2024, Ahmad Abu Alfol was shot by security services while he was traveling in his car on the public road. Which caused a severe injury, later on the hospital declared him dead. The spokesman for the security services issued a statement announcing that security agents had shot fire on Ahmad Abu Al Foul for allegedly responding to gunfire against the said agencies. The group considers the statement to be an acknowledgement of the murder of Ahmed Abu Faul and in anticipation of any official investigation results with the security force. Lawyers for Justice assures that the murder of citizen Ahmad Abu Al Foul follows a series of similar murders, the eighth case in which citizens were shot dead by the security services over the past seven months, following the event of October 7th, the last murder that took place on the citizen Mutasim Al Aref in early April, as well as the injuries of many citizens over the past months during attempts while arresting. Lawyers for Justice implies that not all homicides involving citizens have been investigated since the 7 of October, leading to the accountability of those involved. Since the beginning of 2024, Lawyers for Justice has monitored the killing of citizens, including a boy Ahmed al-Obaidi, 17, early in January this year. The boy, Mohammed Arasan, was 17 years old in March, and a citizen, Mutasim AL Aref, who was injured at the end of March on 2-4-2024, was pronounced dead. In addition, Qais Saadi and Khalil Hanbali were injured during their arrest attempt. Therefore, Lawyers for Justice calls for the need for immediate and serious actions by those concerned and those responsible for the implementation and application of the law by the public prosecutor and the Military public prosecutor to ensure that the provisions of the law are activated and those involved in the murder of Abu Foul and previous murders are prosecuted, and that any legal cover that prevents them from being held accountable is lifted in compliance with the law. Lawyers for Justice  also points to the need to reverse the justification language issued by the security institutions in order to justify these crimes, which is also aimed at creating conditions in which the killing of innocent citizens is facilitated without reasons or justification. In this context, Lawyers for Justice also affirms that the continued prosecution of activists is incompatible with constitutional rights approved by the Palestinian Constitutional Law, Its conduct was a crime of legitimate acts in the exercise of the right to self-determination. Lawyers for Justice Issued in 2-5-2024.

Lawyers for Justice are closely monitoring the escalating campaign of political arrests and the increasing repression carried out by the security agencies

Lawyers for Justice are closely monitoring the escalating campaign of political arrests and the increasing repression carried out by the security agencies since the beginning of the current month. The group has observed a rise in cases of arrests based on the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression. During this month, the group documented the arrests of three citizens by the Preventive Security Service due to their exercise of freedom of opinion and expression. Among them were the journalist Aqeel Awawdah, citizen Mohammed Hareebat, and Sheikh Mustafa Abu Ara, who were later released on bail. The Public Prosecution has charged the mentioned individuals with various accusations, including defamation against the authority, incitement to racial hatred, and slander against the President, relying on the Penal Code and the Cybercrime Law. Lawyers for Justice view these arrests as arbitrary and not grounded in the law, as they violate the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights conventions. The group calls for an immediate cessation of these arrests and urges authorities to refrain from pursuing citizens on such grounds. Additionally, the group demands the cancellation of the Cybercrime Law (Law No. 4 of 2018), which was enacted by the Executive Authority with the aim of silencing voices and limiting legitimate criticism on social media. It is worth noting that all cases brought under this law, related to freedom of opinion and expression, have resulted in judicial acquittals. The group believes that resorting to the deprivation of freedom and the detention of citizens based on their exercise of freedom of opinion and expression on social media falls under abuse of power and represents a deviation from the Palestinian Basic Law. This statement was issued by Lawyers for Justice on 27th July 2023.