Ref: 70/2009

Date: 01 June 2009

Time: 09:50 GMT

 

 

Gaza Security Services Prevent Fatah PLC Members from Traveling to Ramallah

 

 

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the travel ban imposed by the security services of the Gaza Government on four Fatah members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The ban prevented the PLC members from traveling to Ramallah on Sunday morning, 31 May 2009, to attend a meeting of the Fatah Bloc in the PLC. PCHR calls upon the Gaza government to cease such measures, which restrict the right to freedom of movement ensured by the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights standards.  

 

According to PLC Member 'Abdul Hamid al-'Eila, 50, he and three other PLC Members representing the Fatah movement, Mohammed Hijazi, 62; Raja'ei Baraka, 50; and Dr. Ibrahim al-Musaddar, 57, travelled towards Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing at approximately 11:00 on Sunday, 31 May 209. The four intended to travel to Ramallah in order to discuss the formation of the new government in Ramallah. When they arrived at the Customs checkpoint to the south of Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, they were stopped by police officers. The officers ordered them out of their car and held them in a car park for nearly one hour, awaiting the arrival of three officers of the Internal Security Service (ISS). Al-'Eila informed PCHR that the three security officers confiscated the PLC Members' identification documents, including passports, and forced them to wait under the sun for nearly an hour. The PLC Members' bags were searched, and their mobile phones confiscated. The security officers then ordered the PLC Members to travel back to Gaza City and to report to the offices of the ISS in Abu Khadra governmental complex on Sunday, 07 June 2009, in order to retrieve their documents and mobile phones.

 

PCHR is concerned by the movement restrictions placed on PLC Members by Palestinian security services. PCHR calls upon the government in Gaza to cease these measures and to abstain from restricting the right to freedom of movement ensured by the Palestinian Basic Law and international human right standards.