Ref: 07/2010

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the continued persecution
of international human rights defenders in the [[West Bank]] by Israeli Occupation
Forces (IOF) and the deportation of international activists from the
country. PCHR is concerned about such
measures, as they aim to expel international witnesses of human rights
violations perpetrated by IOF against Palestinian civilians during peaceful
protests against the construction of the Annexation Wall and settlement
activities in the West Bank. 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 03:00 on
Sunday, 07 February 2010, IOF moved into the cities of Ramallah and al-Bireh. They
stormed an apartment building in al-Bireh in which a number of international
human rights defenders live. After
checking the visas in their passports, IOF arrested Ariadna Jove Marti, 24, a
Spanish journalist, and Bridgette Chappell, 25, an Australian student at Bir
Zeit University, and took them to Ofer Prison,
pending their deportation from the county, citing their expired visas as the
reason. The two women are activists in
the International Solidarity Movement. An Israeli military spokesman claimed that the women are “known for
being involved in illegal riots that obstruct Israeli security operations.”

The detention of these two activists from an area controlled by the
Palestinian National Authority is part of an IOF campaign against Palestinian
and international human rights defenders in the West Bank, aiming to silence
voices of Palestinians and hinder internationals from witnessing Israeli
violations of human rights in the West Bank. It is worth noting that IOF have denied international human rights
defenders access to the Gaza Strip for several years in order to prevent them
from observing serious human rights violations, especially the humanitarian crisis
of the Palestinian civilian population due to the ongoing illegal siege imposed
on Gaza.

PCHR deeply appreciates the role played by international human rights
defenders and solidarity activists, and:

1) Reiterates its condemnation
of the IOF’s persecution, and, in some cases, deportation, of Palestinian and
international human rights defenders;

2) Calls upon the
international community to assume its responsibilities with regard to war
crimes and serious human rights violations perpetrated by IOF in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory; and

3) Recommends that international
civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar
associations and international solidarity groups, become more involved in the
process of locating suspected Israeli war criminals and urge their governments
to prosecute them.