PRESS RELEASE

Released @ 12:00 GMT 7^th September 1998

A resident from Khan Younis dies in suspicious circumstances

Yesterday, 6/9/1998, Hussein Abed Abu Ghali, 55, a resident of Khan younis, Gaza Strip, died in suspicious circumstances. Family resources accuse members of Presidential Security forces of beating him to death.

According to Abdul Fattah Abu Ghali (the son of the victim), his father left home yesterday to the President Headquarter (Al Muntada) seeking help to medicate one of his sons who had been wounded by Israeli soldiers on 15/5/1998. Around 5:00 PM, the family was informed by the police that the father had died and his body had been kept at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

Later, the family was informed by the police that the father was transferred dead to the hospital from the waiting hall at the Presidential Headquarter (Al Muntada) and that the reason of death was not identified. No medical report was given by the hospital to the family members who received the body and burried it on the evening hours; a tent of condolences was opened yesterday. However, the tent of condolences was closed later and the family believes that the death was not natural but resulted from beating on the hands of individuals in the presidential security.

Omar Abu Ghali, the brother of the victim, testified to PCHR that he saw signs of beating by shoes on the clothes of his brother. Mohammed Abu Ghali, the son of the victim, testified to that he saw signs of beating on his chest and signs of bleeding on the nose. The family complained to the Palestinian police that signs of beating were evident on different places on Hussein’s body. A press released was issued by the family this mourning accusing a member of the Presidential security of beating Hussein to death.

PCHR, as the legal representative of the family, complained this morning to the office of the Palestinian Attorney General demanding an immediate investigation in the death of Hussein Abu Ghali in suspicious circumstances. PCHR believes that there are reasonable grounds for suspicion of death as a result of beating by individuals in the Presidential security. The main officer accused by the family was reported in the past in other attacks against civilians; PCHR field workers reported that he attacked two journalists on 24/8/1998 and he was subjected to a term of imprisonment by Force 17 (the President Security).