Ref: 92/2010

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the continued
illegal detention of Khader ‘Adnan Mousa, 32, a leader of Islamic Jihad, from
‘Arraba village southwest of Jenin, by the General Intelligence Service
(GIS). PCHR is concerned over Mousa’s
health condition, who had been in a hunger strike since the beginning of his detention
on 29 September 2010. PCHR further
reiterates its call for the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and its
security services to stop arbitrary detentions, and to release all political
detainees as a step towards putting an end to the issue of political
detentions. 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and the testimony of
Mousa’s wife, Randa Mousa, at approximately 09:45 on Wednesday, 29 September
2010, a GIS force raided al-Qana’a Bakery opposite to the market of vegetables
in Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin, and arrested its owner, Khader
Mousa. On Saturday, 02 October 2010,
Mousa’s wife received a phone call from him, in which he informed her that he
was presented to the Military Prosecution, and asked her to inform his lawyer
to visit him. The wife stated, according
to her husband’s lawyer, that the Military Prosecution accused him of joining
illegal militias, and that he had been in a hunger strike since the first
moment he was arrested. According to the
wife, her husband was subjected to shabeh,[1]
and his eyeglasses were confiscated.

PCHR repeats its condemnation of Mousa’s detention, and:

1. Reminds of the Palestinian Supreme Court of the
Justice ruling on 20 February 1999, which considers political detention illegal
and demands all executive bodies to respect the Court ruling and refrain from
practicing political detention;

2. Emphasizes that detention is governed by the
Palestinian law and falls within the competence of judicial warranty officers,
represented by the police, under direct supervision of the Attorney-General;
and

3. Calls for the immediate release of all political
detainees who are held by Palestinian security services in the West Bank.