Ref: 17/2014
Date: 20 February 2014
Time: 11:35 GMT
Yesterday, Wasfi Ezzat Qabha (54), former Prisoners’ Minister, from Jenin, in the northern West Bank, was beaten up by unknown masked persons near Burqin village, west of the city. As a result, he sustained fractures and bruises throughout his body. This incident is part of the state of security chaos and an assault on the rule of law in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and statement of Qabha, at approximately 12:45 on Wednesday, 19 February 2014, Qabha was driving his blue Hyundai Accent from Jenin to Kafrit village, west of the city. A gray Skoda vehicle intercepted him on the main street near Burqin village, west of the city. Four masked persons stepped out of the vehicle and attacked Qabha’s vehicle with stones and sticks. As a result, the glass was smashed while he was inside. They then pulled him out of his vehicle, beat him up with sticks and ran away. Qabha called his relatives who came and took him to Dr. Khalil Suleiman hospital. Qabha was transferred to al-Razi hospital in the city for medical treatment. Following medical examination and x-ray, it was found that Qabha sustained a fracture in the left hand and bruises in the face, head and left side of the body.
It should be noted that unknown persons had broken the rear windshield of Qabha’s vehicle while it was parking in front of his house in al-Basateen neighborhood, north of Jenin, on 01 December 2013.
PCHR strongly condemns this attack and:
