Ref: 49/2008

Date: 25 May 2008

Time: 9:30 GMT

 

PCHR Warns against the Continued Militarizing of Society

Hamas Members Takeover the Khan Yunis Youth Club

PCHR expresses great condemnation over the developments of in the Khan Yunis Youth Club, and subsequent armed takeover of the Club by Hamas members last Wednesday. The Centre affirms that this takeover is a violation of the law and the right to form associations, and a serious violation against civil society. The Centre calls upon the authorities to put an end to these illegal actions, which are a continuation of the security chaos and attack on the rule of law plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

The Center’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 1:00 on Wednesday, 21 May, masked gunmen wearing Izzedeen El-Qassam Battalions headbands arrived at the house of Mazen Mohammad Abu Zeid (45) in Khan Yunis refugee camp. Abu Zeid is the Secretary-General of the Khan Yunis Youth Club. They demanded that he hand them the keys to the club. They left after taking the keys. Another group of gunmen headed to the house of Mohammad Sha’ban El-Qerem, a club member of the board, and confiscated a copy of the keys. In the morning of the same day, Mohammad El-Qerem went to the club and say civilian persons known for their affiliation with Hamas in the club. Later during the same day, PCHR’s fieldworker went to the club and saw persons conducting an inventory check of the stuff in the club. He asked one of them as to their capacity in the club; and he replied that he is a member of the temporary administrative board.

PCHR went to the officials in the Ministry of Youth and Sport to follow up on these developments. On Wednesday, 21 May, Mohammad El-Hindi, the Director of Sport Activity in the Ministry’s Khan Yunis office, informed PCHR’s fieldworker that the Ministry did not inform him of any temporary committee to manage the club; and that no such committee was commissioned. Zakaria El-Hor, the Director General of Sports Clubs in the Ministry, informed PCHR’s fieldworker on Sunday, 25 May, that he received a complaint last Wednesday from Mohammad El-Qerem about an armed takeover of the club. He stated that he was investigating the complaint, and has not reached final conclusions yet.

It is noted that the Khan Yunis Youth Club was established in 1960 and provides sports, cultural, and social services. The club management stated that the last elections were held on 25 February 2007 in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the Khan Yunis Municipality.

In light of these developments, PCHR:

1. Calls for the immediate rescinding of the developments in the Khan Yunis Youth Club since last Wednesday.
2. Strongly condemns the ignorance of Ministry of Youth and Sport officials about the developments in the club, noting that these attacks are a violation of the Ministry’s jurisdiction and interference by Hamas and its armed wing in unrelated issues.
3. Affirms that this attack is a violation of the law and the right to form associations, and is a serious violation of civil society work.
4. Warns that the recurrence of these attacks is a continuation of the security chaos plaguing the OPT; and calls upon the authorities to take serious actions to stop such attacks and to ensure the respect of the laws governing the operation of these institutions.