Ref:
70/2010

The
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the continued arbitrary
arrests and illegal detentions of members of Hamas by Palestinian security
services in the West Bank, as these arrests and detentions are in violation of
law. The latest arrest campaign was carried
out by the Preventive Security Service (PSS) in Nablus against six academics
working at an-Najah National University, one member of a municipal council of
Nablus, two engineers and one university student. In addition, the PSS summonsed
and questioned nine women in Nablus, confiscating their IDs.

According
to the testimony given to PCHR by Mona Mansour a member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council from the Change and Reform Bloc, late on the night of
Monday, 02 August 2010, the PSS carried out an arrest campaign against six
academics working at an-Najah National University, one member of a municipal
council, two engineers, one university student and another two persons. Additionally, the PSS confiscated three cars
and summonsed and confiscated the IDs of nine women, requiring them to appear to
the PSS headquarters in order to force them to resign from Al-Tadamon
Charitable Society.

The
detainees include:

1) Dr. Mostafa Ali
al-Najjar, Professor at Najah National University in Nablus:

2) Dr. Mohammed Salama
Abu Ja’far, Professor at Najah National University in Nablus:

3) Dr. Nezar
al-‘Awertani, Professor at Najah National University in Nablus:

4) Professor, Mohammed
al-Nori, Professor at Najah National University in Nablus:

5) Dr. Fareed Abu Dheir, Professor
at Najah National University in Nablus;

6) Dr. Ghassan
Khaled, Professor at Najah National
University in Nablus;

7) ‘Anan Ghazal; a member
of a municipal council;

8) Eng. Wajeeh Abu ‘Eida;

9) Eng. Omar al-Hanbali;

10) Montaser Mostafa Ali
al-Najjar; a student at Najah National University;

11) Mohanned ‘Amer; and

12) Wa’el Hashash.

The
nine women summonsed are as follows:

1) Asma’ Abu Zohra,
employee of al-Tadamon Charitable Society;

2) Inas al-Hajj Mohammed,
employee of al-Tadamon Charitable Society;

3) Nadia Taym, Director
of al-Tadamon Charitable Society’s nursery school;

4) Sima al-Taher;

5) ‘Ola ‘Alili;

6) Siham Abu al-So’oud;

7) Sabreen al-Sal’ous and

8) Berlent ‘Asfouri, both
of whom were previously obliged by PSS to resign from the al-Tadamon Society;
and

9) Sawsan Mrayesh.

It
should be noted al-Tadamon Society was established in 1956 in Nablus as a
charitable organization. It was licensed
by Jordanian authorities on 27 June 1956, and its license was renewed by the
Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Social Affairs in the Palestinian National
Authority (PNA) in 1997. 165 employees
work at the Society, in addition to more than 100 volunteers.

The
PSS also confiscated three cars belonging to:

1) Haneen ‘Amouri
“Darwaza”;

2) Haneen Mohy al-Deen
al-Sal’ous; and

3) Mosa al-Tambour.

PCHR
reiterates its condemnation of political detention and the torture which often
accompanies it, and:

1. Reminds executive
bodies of the ruling issued by the Palestinian Supreme Court of Justice on 20
February 1999, which considers political detention illegal and demands all executive
bodies respect the Court ruling and cease the practice political detention;

2. Emphasizes that
detention is covered by Palestinian law and falls within the competence of
judicial warranty officers, represented by the police, who work under the
direct orders and 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.