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.
Due to the absence of witnesses.. 9 trial sessions for activists were postponed and a case file was closed
Ramallah Magistrate Court postponed nine trial sessions of activists and human rights defenders, until January 19, 2022, due to the non-attendance of witnesses and their absence from the sessions. Representatives of the Public Prosecution Office requested a time limit to confirm their positions on the evidence.In light of the continued absence of witnesses, as the representative of the defense, the advocate of the Lawyers for Justice group petitioned the court to compel the prosecution to bring the witnesses themselves.Although the Public Prosecution Office has previously completed all aspects of the investigation file, the group observed a delay in the court’s procedure. By accepting the request of the representative of the Public Prosecution to grant him additional time, and that the postponement of the hearing serves nothing but delay the achievement of justice.Meanwhile, after four court sessions, the court closed the case file against activist Ghassan Al-Saadi on charges of “Defamation using the electronic network or any information technology means.”, due to the failure of the Minister of Social Development, Ahmed Majdalani in submitting his civil right to accept this case.Here, a group of Lawyers for Justice points out that it raised in its defenses the failure of Al-Majdalani to claim civil rights since the first session of the case on July 6, 2021. But the court rejected the arguments and insisted that the activist’s trial continues till today.Accordingly, the group stresses that the continued procrastination of the activists’ court proceedings does not fall within the standards of a fair trial.Furthermore, Lawyers for Justice recalls that activists are prosecuted for their human rights activism and advocacy without committing any violation of Palestinian law and that their activities came within the framework of human rights agreements and the Palestinian Basic Law, which guarantees their right to expression and peaceful demonstration.
An invitation to attend trials of 35 human rights defenders and activists
Lawyers for Justice group invites all media organizations, civil society, local and international human rights institutions to attend ten public trial sessions of 35 human rights activists and defenders against participating in the “Enough is enough” movement in 2020. And on participating in the demonstrations condemning the assassination of activist Nizar Banat in June 2021. The group confirms that attending and monitoring these public hearings contributes to fair trial standards. Activists are being prosecuted for their participation in legal activities guaranteed by Palestinian law, freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law, and human rights treaties to which Palestine is a party. Their cases were listed under different charges, as follows: Stirring up racist strife, continuing to gather and not disperse except by force, Participating in an illegal gathering, breaching the state of emergency, and stirring up sectarian strife, defamation using the electronic network or any information technology means”. The sessions were postponed several times due to the absence of witnesses in the security services. Also, one of the sessions was postponed due to the absence of the witness, Ahmed Majdalani, Minister of Social Development. This continued absence of witnesses, whether intentionally or because they were not informed, led to the delay in the trial, in violation of fair trial guarantees, as is the case with the “Enough” movement activists who have been on trial for more than a year. Accordingly, as the Lawyers for Justice group pleads as an attorney for the defense of activists and human rights, it calls on civil and human rights institutions and the media to attend on Sunday 19/12/2021 at the Ramallah Magistrate Court, where the sessions begin at nine in the morning.
More than 200 arrests and detentions since May 2021
The escalation of arrest campaigns carried out by the security services in the occupied West Bank governorates since the beginning of last October reflects the deterioration of the human rights situation in Palestine. The group has documented dozens of arrests of citizens and activists on various backgrounds because of their political affiliation or the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression.While the number of detainees, between those arrested or released since mid-May last, has so far exceeded nearly two hundred arrests;these numbers are the worst in years in the human rights record in the Palestinian Authority security-controlled areas. The group’s documentation indicates that most of these arrests were without presenting an arrest or search warrant issued by the competent authorities represented by the Public Prosecution Authority. Once these arrests are carried out, the procedures for legalizing them will begin with competent prosecutions. This is to provide more space that allows the investigative authorities of the security services to take over the powers of the Public Prosecution Office. And to prolong detention periods which have often become a tool of punishment in the hands of the security services against political and opinion activists.The group also observed unjustified violent behavior often practiced against activists during arrest, along with force and miss-treatment.Lawyers for Justice warns against the continuation of these illegal campaigns and stresses that the Public Prosecution office must take a strict stance towards these behaviors that gives a discourse that justifies these grave violations of the human rights situation, it also calls for the immediate release of all detainees and the closure of political detention prisons.
The arrest of the human rights activist and defender, Jasser Jaser
Lawyers for Justice have followed this day, 5/31/2020 The arrest of the human rights activist and defender, Jasser Jaser. who was arrested against the background of what he was published on the Facebook page, “Bekfi ya shrikat alitisalat”-This is enough Communications companies- which is a page of social mobility .The Public Prosecutor accuses the activist Jasser of “transmitting insulting news using communication devices” in violation of the “controversial” cybercrimes law.Accordingly, lawyers for justice believe that his continued detention for the second consecutive day, on the background of his publications, which is demanding accountability for corruption and corrupt people, is only a trial of the conscience of honorable people with the aim of blocking any social union activity aimed at correcting social and economic policies to achieve the desired social justice.Based on the foregoing, Lawyers for Justice have demanded that the relevant authorities issue a decision to stop the prosecution and detention of trade unionists and human rights defenders. emphasize the need of closing all the judicial files that impede any trade union activity and/ or restrict freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed under the domestic and international laws.
Arqam
Lawyers for Justice got a decision to acquit the detainee Arqam Harsha from the Magistrate’s Court in Tulkarm, and the Preventive Security Service refuses to release him. Today, February 24, 2020, a session was held to try Arqam Harsha’s detainee in the Magistrate’s Court in Tulkarm, where the Public Prosecution transferred the investigation file to the court and the indictment was read out. In the same session, the court issued its decision to announce that Arqam Harsha after he denied the charges in the presence of Attorney Ahmed Barham is a representative of lawyers for justice The Preventive Security Service in Tulkarm had arrested the youth activist Arqam Harasha from the town of Qaffin due to his participation in the demonstrations, according to what his father said (that Arqam was went out in a peaceful demonstration to participate in the funeral of the martyr Badr Harashi in Tulkarm, on the date of 9 / 2/2020 A number has been reported by the Preventive Security for the interview, and he was detained by the Preventive Security in Tulkarm, from the date of his detention until the date of 14/20/2020 was arrested illegally as he was not transferred to the court) Lawyers for Justice considered what came on The detainee’s father’s tongue is a digit that has violated the Palestinian criminal procedure law and that his arrest is in violation of Fair trial . The Preventive Security Service in Tulkarm refuses to release the detainee Harsha’s number despite a decision to declare his innocence and to release him unconditionally, as a member of his family stated that the Preventive Security Service informed him that he did not intend to release him today. Lawyers for Justice considers that the declaration of innocence of Harsha or other political detainees from the insatiable apprehension assigned to them, or the preservation of their files by a decision of the Attorney General is evidence that their arrest was merely arbitrary detention due to political activity and / or union action and / or Freedom of opinion and expression, and there is no evidence linking them to the charges assigned to them. In addition, these charges against them are merely charges that the public prosecutor used to direct the above-mentioned detainees. Lawyers for Justice launches an urgent appeal for the immediate release of the activist detainee Harasha’s without restriction or commitment, in compliance with the judicial decision issued by the Magistrates Court in Tulkarm. Thus, lawyers for justice claim the kindness of the Attorney General and human rights institutions to intervene immediately to release the detainee Arqam Harsha
Noor Yasin
The trade union activist Nour Yassin was arrested by the Preventive Security Service in Nablus on 20/1/2020, where he was presented to the Public Prosecution in Nablus on 01/21/2020 and his detention was extended for 22/1/2020 for the purposes of hiring a lawyer, on the following day 22 / 1/2020 Nour was presented to the Public Prosecutor who investigated him on the charge of collecting and receiving funds from illegal associations, which is a political charge that the Public Prosecution used to direct to activists and political detainees. Nour, in turn, denied the charge and said (that his investigation with the Preventive Security Service revolves around his union activity as a representative of the Islamic Bloc at An-Najah National University). It is reported that Nour raised allegations of torture on multiple sites of his body, and the Public Prosecutor noted: (The accused limped on his right leg and asked (Nour) about the reason for that, he replied that he was beaten, rescinded, during interrogation). The next day, Nour was presented to the Nablus Magistrate Court, which extended his detention for four days at the request of the Public Prosecution, and then he was presented on the specified day after four days to the Nablus Magistrate Court, and his detention was extended for another five days. On Thursday 30/1/2020 , the Magistrate’s Court decided to release Yassin on bail of a thousand Jordanian dinars.