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| PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights PRESS RELEASE |
Ref: 174/2005
Date: 29 December 2005
Time: 10:30 GMT
A Human Rights Activist and Her Parents Kidnapped in the Gaza Strip
On Wednesday evening, 28 December 2005, an armed Palestinian group kidnapped Kate Burton, Coordinator of International Relations at al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, in Rafah and took them to an unknown destination.
According to preliminary investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 15:45 on Wednesday, 28 December 2005, 3 armed persons intercepted a taxi that was traveling on Salah al-Din road, south of Rafah. They forced 3 internationals out of the taxi and took them into their car. Later, the hostages were identified as Kate Burton, Coordinator of International Relations at al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza, and her parents. They are British citizens. PCHR learnt that Kate spent the Christmas holiday in Bethlehem. Al-Mezan Center did not know about her arrival in the Gaza Strip with her parents. No more details about the conditions of the hostages and the identity of the kidnappers are available.
This latest kidnapping has been the second one in one week. On Wednesday, 21 December 2005, a number of armed persons kidnapped the Dutch Hendrik Taatgen, the Principal of the American International School in Gaza, and the Australian Brian Ambrosio, his deputy. The two were released a few hours later following negotiations with the kidnappers.
This latest incident comes as part of a pattern of kidnappings that has escalated in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2005. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has failed to take effective measures to fight such crimes and bring their perpetrators to justice. Before this latest crime, at least 14 internationals had been kidnapped in 8 separate incidents. Even though all hostages were released without being hurt, such crimes reflect the state of security chaos and attacks on the rule of law in the PNA controlled areas. The kidnappers in all these incidents have not been prosecuted even though their identities are known. PCHR has evidence that the PNA even succumbed to the kidnappers’ demands in a number of these cases.
These crimes damage the just cause of the Palestinian people and have contributed to the evacuation from the Gaza Strip of people who provide great services to the Palestinian people and support their struggle, including staff of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies, journalists and human rights workers. Such crimes serves the Israeli efforts to limit the presence of international in the Gaza Strip in order not to be witnesses for crimes committed by Israeli Occupation Forces against Palestinian civilians.
PCHR condemns this latest kidnapping and all crimes against foreigners:
1. PCHR holds the PNA responsible for the escalation in such attacks at it has failed to search for the perpetrators of these crimes and bring them to justice.
2. PCHR calls upon the PNA to take effective measures, in accordance with the law and human rights standards, to put an end to this phenomenon and other forms of security chaos.
3. PCHR calls upon all Palestinian national and Islamic factions and civil society groups to condemn, in the strongest terms, kidnapping foreigners; to isolate kidnappers; and to pressure the PNA to search for perpetrators of such crimes and bring them to justice.
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Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
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