Ref: 06/2012
Date: 16 January 2012
Time: 13:30 GMT

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the use of excessive force by security officers against a number of Palestinians while performing Shiite rituals on Saturday, 14 January 2012, in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya. PCHR calls for opening serious investigation into this incident and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and statements given by a number of victims, at around 18:30 on Monday, 14 January 2012, large numbers of security officers wearing military uniforms and helmets, and some being masked, stormed a house in Beit Lahiya, where about 20 Palestinians were performing Shiite rituals. The security officers used clubs to severely beat the persons in the house, and then transferred them to the main police station in the northern Gaza Strip. The detainees were placed under interrogation and they were questioned about personal information and the reason why they were in that house. Then the detainees were beaten again and a number of them sustained fractures and bruises as a result. Those who sustained injuries were transferred to Balsam Hospital and Kamal Odwan Hospital.

PCHR strongly condemns the use of excessive force by the security officers against the said persons and calls upon the government in Gaza to open seriously investigations into this incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice.