Ref: 15/2015
Date: 24 March 2015
Time: 12:36 GMT
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the excessive use of force by the Palestinian police in the Gaza Strip to disperse demonstrators who came out from Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, on Monday, 23 March 2015, in protest against the power outage in their area, and the detention of some of them. PCHR calls upon the Attorney General in Gaza to open an investigation into the incident and calls for respect for the right to peaceful assembly as ensured by the Palestinian law and international standards.
The Palestinian police in Gaza severely beat up a number of civilians and arrested others during a spontaneous demonstration in Khuza’a village to demand a solution for the prolonged power outage in their area. At approximately 17:30 on Monday, 23 March 2015, dozens of civilians from Khuza’a village, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, gathered in the village streets in protest against the prolonged hours of power outage. The number of demonstrators increased to hundreds, and young men set fire to tires. Four police vehicles then arrived at the area, and police officers got out in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators. The Palestinian police officers chased the demonstrators and severely beat them. Meanwhile, some demonstrators threw stones at the police officers.
Attacks by the police resulted in injuring some of the demonstrators. Three civilians were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis to receive medical treatment. Of the civilians who were attacked was a pregnant woman, ‘Azzah Yousif ‘Abdel Rahman al-Najjar (23) as she was beaten with a stick and pushed to the ground until she lost consciousness. Moreover, her husband, who has a physical disability, was also beaten. Jihan Wasfi Hamdan al-Najjar sustained bruises as she was beaten when she was in the caravan she lives in. The police also arrested at least six civilians, including a child, identified as follows:
It should be mentioned that most of the demonstrators who were attacked live in the caravans allocated by the Ministry of Public Works to shelter civilians whose houses were destroyed during the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. Residents of the area said that electricity
does not reach the caravans, so they were forced to extend power directly from the public power line. They also said the power outage schedule applies on them like the other residents of the village. However, they refused that saying that like it is not enough that we lost our houses. Meanwhile, sources from the power plant said that outage happened due to excessive electrical loads.
In this context, PCHR emphasizes on the right to peaceful assembly is ensured under Article 26 of the Palestinian Basic Law, and under the Public Meetings Law. PCHR also stresses the right to personal security and not being subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment by Police forces in addition to unacceptability of excessive use of force when enforcing security according to international human rights standards, especially Article (7) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Accordingly, PCHR:
1- Calls upon the Attorney General to question the police officers who attacked those civilians hold them accountable according to the law;
2- Calls upon security services to respect the law and international standards in dealing with the right to peaceful assembly; and
3- Demands the immediate release of all detained civilians if not proven to be involved in crimes that justify their detention.
