Ref: 68/2014
Date: 21 June 2014
Time: 11:00 GMT

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the dispersal of a peaceful demonstration organized in Hebron on Friday, 20 June 2014, in solidarity with the Palestinian administrative detainees by the Palestinian security services and the accompanying attacks on journalists. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian Authority to take the necessary measures to respect the right to hold public and private peaceful assemblies and respect press freedoms that are guaranteed under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights standards.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and the testimonies of victims and eyewitnesses, on Friday, 20 June 2014, members of Palestinian security services deployed in the vicinity of al-Hussein Bin Ali Mosque on ‘Ain Sarah Street in Hebron in the south of the West Bank prevented women, including mothers of prisoners, from reaching the mosque for Friday Prayer to prevent them from participating in a peaceful demonstration, which was supposed to be initiated from the mosque following the Friday prayer in solidarity with the administrative detainees on hunger strike. Following the Friday prayer, the demonstration, in which women participated, moved from the mosque, but the security officers prevented the demonstrators from heading to ‘Ain Sarah Street and forced them to head to the neighboring Ibn Rushd Street, where other Palestinian security officer were waiting for them. Palestinian security officers used force to disperse the demonstration and attacked the demonstrators, including women, with sticks and batons. As a result, many demonstrators sustained bruises. Of the wounded persons was Sa’diyah Khalil Ed’is (55), a mother of an administrative detainee, who was taken to al-Ahli Hospital for treatment after losing conscience due to being beaten up by the security officers.

In the same context, Palestinian security officers attempted to prevent a number of journalists from covering the events near the mosque. They smashed a camera belonging to Kareem Sa’ed Khader, a photojournalist of CNN. Of those journalists who were prevented from covering the events by the security officers:

1. Eiad Nimer Maghribi, who works for the Associated Press (AP) News Agency ;
2. Yousif ‘Issa Shahin, who works for the Pal Media Agency for Media Production; and
3. Hazem Bader, who works for France Press Agency (AFP).

In this context, PCHR stresses that:

1. The Palestinian Basic Law guarantees the right to hold private meetings without the intervention of the Palestinian police according to article (26-5) which stipulates: “Palestinians… shall have the following rights in particular: …. to conduct private meetings without the presence of police members; and to conduct public meetings, gatherings and processions, within the limits of the law.”
2. The right to hold private peaceful assemblies in closed places, such as seminars, workshops and celebrations, do not fall within the scope of application of the Public Meetings Law 12/1998. Therefore, organizers of such meetings are no required to notify the Palestinian police or mayors according to the law.
3. The right to freedom of opinion and expression and press freedoms are guaranteed according to articles 19 and 27 of the Palestinian Basic Law. Article (27-2) provides: “Press, printing, publishing, distribution and broadcast freedoms are guaranteed according to the Palestinian Basic Law and other relevant laws”.

Therefore, PCHR:

1. Calls upon the Attorney General to open a serious investigation into these attacks and bring the perpetrators before justice;
2. Calls upon the government in Ramallah to take necessary measures to stop such violations and ensure respect for public liberties and press freedoms, which are guaranteed under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights standards; and
3. Calls upon the security services to respect human rights that are guaranteed under domestic laws and international standards.