Ref: 115/2013
Date: 14 November 2013
Time: 12:45 GMT

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the incident of shooting by a person inside Nablus District Court during the proceeding of the trial of a person charged of killing the shooter’s relative last August. The defendant was moderately injured by shrapnel. PCHR calls upon the Attorney General’s office to investigate this attack and bring the perpetrator before justice.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 10:30 on Thursday, 14 November 2013, while the proceeding of the trial of Mohammed Shihda al-Hifnawi in Nablus District Court for the charge of killing Lieutenant Ibrahim Khalil ‘Aassi on 18 August 2013, the victim’s cousin was able to enter the court impersonating a lawyer. He took out a pistol he was hiding and fired 4 bullets inside the court. As a result, the defendant was moderately injured by shrapnel. Immediately, the guards were able to control and arrest the shooter.

PCHR condemns this attack, and:

1. Calls upon the Attorney General’s office to investigate it and bring the perpetrator before justice;
2. Stresses that this attack against Nablus District Court constitute a serious assault on the dignity of the judiciary; and
3. Calls upon concerned authorities to provide necessary protection for judicial facilities to ensure the non-recurrence of such incidents.