Ramallah Magistrate Court issues a decision extending the detention of political detainee Basil Flayan
The Magistrate Court in Ramallah issued a decision to extend the detention of the political detainee, Basil Flayan, for a period of fifteen days, and the court’s decision came despite hearing allegations of torture against the detainee, Flayan, which was represented by crucifixion, beating with hoses, and other subjects The court and “Lawyers for Justice” lawyers were able to see signs of torture at the hands of Flyan. Accordingly, “Lawyers for Justice” holds the General Intelligence Service fully responsible for the life of the detainee Flayan, in light of the allegations of torture that they heard and saw its effects. … Lawyers for Justice January 9, 2023
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.
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.
Joint Submission by Human Rights Watch and Lawyers for Justice to the Committee Against Torture in advance of its review of the State of Palestine
The political detainee Ahmad Hraish is being tortured
Lawyers for Justice group requests an urgent call for immediate intervention, in order to release political detainee Ahmed Hraish, who has been detained since 6/6/2022 by the intelligence agency in Jericho, related to what is known as the Beituniya carpentry case. The group, since 14/06/2022, mentioned in a statement that the detainee Hraish had stated earlier in the Jericho Magistrate’s Court that he had been subjected to torture, as following: “I am in Jericho’s prison cells since a week, they used strappado or corda (which the victim’s hands are tied behind his back and the victim is suspended by a rope attached to the wrists), my face is fully covered i couldn’t see anything through the cover, i was being hung and beaten with sticks and rubber, they used Falaka with me (Foot whipping, or bastinado is a method of inflicting pain and humiliation by administering a beating on the soles of a person’s bare feet) then they told me to stand up and dance. I’ve been tortured by bricks, iron, running reverse, and other torturing methods..”. Then, on 28/06/2022, Hraish stated in front of the Judge Diab al-Qawasmeh again, that he was constantly being tortured by the intelligence agaency in Jericho after the extension of the detention session, which took place on 14/06/2022. Yesterday, the detainee Hraish also declared before the General Attorney that he had been subjected to torture, and stated that there were efforts to compel him to accept very serious criminal charges that undermine his reputation and patriotism. The group requests an URGENT call for immediate intervention, and it is in the process of addressing all the competent official authorities in order to ensure the opening of a serious investigation into allegations of torture, and to demand the prosecution of a complaint of torture in accordance with due process of law fair trial.
A public statement on the suppression of the protest by An-Najah University students
Lawyers for justice group followed up on the bloody events that took place yesterday inside the campus of Al-Najah University in the city of Nablus, what accompanied these events was the repression and beatings of dozens of university security staff, reaching the point of serious harm, against students sitting on campus using their natural and legitimate right to express their opinions and demands in a safe university life. The group also monitored the beating of these protesters by using sharp tools that were in the possession of the aforementioned security forces, in addition the use of pepper gas in the face of the students, and the beating of one of the university lecturers while he was among the students. While the group expresses its disapproval and surprise at how things have turned out on campus, it looks at the behavior that has occurred that expresses a violent approach that is fueled by more aggression and hatred within a large scientific edifice such as Al-Najah University, until the university has become a place of human rights violations and attacks on human dignity, amid suspicious silence of the official institution and its executive bodies, which distanced themselves from interfering and standing up to their job responsibilities despite the torrent of blood on the university campus, until it came to chasing students in the public streets and shooting from weapons and guns.Considering the bloody events that took place are clear crimes, including attempted murder, which require the intervention of the Public Prosecutor to carry out his legal responsibilities by opening a criminal investigation and issuing orders to arrest everyone involved in the assault on students in order to preserve the status and prestige of the public right. The group also confirms that the official statements made by the Governor of Nablus Governorate, considering the events of An-Najah University an internal affair, are an inseparable part of the event, reflects the state of official disregard for human rights violations and disregard for crimes committed without interference by law enforcement officials, and at the time In which the detention centers of the security services are filled with dozens of political detainees without any legal basis, the outlaws are protected.
Detainees under torture in Jericho
Updates on the status of the political detainees Ahmad khaseeb and Ahmad Hareesh; our colleague lawyer Ahmed khaseeb, is detained for nearly a week by Palestinian security forces, he is being subjected to torture and abuse inside the Security Committee’s detention center, according to the testimony of lawyers who were able to see him yesterday after he was brought to the Jericho Magistrate’s Court. Detainees Ahmed Harish confirmed before the Jericho Magistrate’s Court judge that he was severely tortured at the place of his arrest.Therefore, lawyers for Justice confirms that torturing detainees is a crime committed by those in charge of enforcement the law, the detention centers which are under the supervision of the Public Prosecution are committing such crimes amid suspicious silence. The judiciary’s failure to take a position in this regard is considered a cover-up of these crimes, which requires for the intervention of all Human Rights and unions to determine their role and responsibility in confronting this behavior that contradicts the Palestinian Basic Law and human rights conventions. The group of Lawyers for Justice also emphasize that torture not only a crime punishable by law, also leads to the nullification of all investigation procedures, and therefore the group warns against dealing with any confessions obtained under the torture and the threat to which detainees are exposed.
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 documents a violation against the human rights of a political prisoner
Lawyers for Justice group documented grave human rights violations that activist “N.ِA” was subjected to during his arrest during the twenty days of his political detention.Although the court issued a decision to release him, it was not implemented, and his detention continued in a narrow and unclean cell without the minimum necessities of life. Moreover, he was exposed to verbal abuse, hanging, and sleep deprivation. The interrogators also tried to wage a psychological war on him by using phrases suggesting that they did not intend to release him.They prevented his family and lawyer from visiting him, and he was interrogated almost daily without any legal basis. And without respecting the detainee and dealing with him following human rights agreements to which Palestine is a party.Therefore, the group of Lawyers for Justice calls for an immediate investigation into the conditions of political prisons and the urgent release of all political detainees and ensures their protection and safety. It also appeals to the Attorney General to urgently enforce the law about the implementation of the release decisions issued by the Palestinian judiciary.