Ref: 96/2008

Date: 02 November 2008

Time: 10:00 GMT

PCHR Welcomes Release of 18 Political Prisoners in Gaza

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) welcomes the decision taken by the Government in Gaza on Thursday, 30 October, to release eighteen political prisoners, including a number of personnel from the Fatah movement. PCHR calls upon the government in Ramallah to release all political prisoners detained by the Palestinian security services, and for an immediate end to all politically motivated arrests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

The two parties involved in this ongoing political conflict (Hamas and Fatah) have both carried out politically motivated arrests. The security services in the Gaza Strip have arrested a number of leaders of the Fatah movement, including district secretaries, as well as Municipal Governors. In the West Bank, Palestinian security services have arrested a number of Hamas leaders and activists.     

PCHR reiterates its condemnation of all politically motivated arrests and:  

1)   Reminds both sides that that politically motivated arrests constitute a violation of human rights under relevant international human rights instruments, and are also prohibited under the Palestinian Basic Law.

2)   Reminds both sides of the Palestinian High Court decision of 20 February 1999, stating that political arrests are illegal, and calls upon all executive parties to respect the High Court decision and refrain from conducting illegal political arrests.

3)   Calls upon the two governments in Ramallah and Gaza to put an immediate end to political arrests, and abstain from any further arrests or detentions of this nature.