Press Release

Israeli Military Court issues a Number of Harsh Sentences

 

Date: 22 March 2000

Ref: 37/2000

Within the context of the legal aid programme provided by PCHR, the Centre has followed a number of files of Palestinian detainees in the Israeli military court at Erez. On 20 March 2000, the Court issued a number of sentences against Palestinian detainees.

The detainee Radwan Sadeq Hariz, 29 years old, from Gaza City, was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment and an additional 36 months imprisonment suspended for 5 years. Hariz was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces on 16 November 1999, at Al Karamah border crossing between Jordan and the West Bank, when he was returning from Syria after finishing his university studies. He was convicted of having contact with, and providing assistance to an illegal organisation.

The detainee Hazem Walid El Husari, 25 years old, from Gaza City, was sentenced to 19 months imprisonment. He was arrested on 3 December 1998, at Al Karamah border crossing when he was returning from Jordan. He was convicted of being a member of an illegal organisation.

The detainee Majdi Nadi Abu Sidu, 26 years old, from Gaza City, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment, and an additional 36 months suspended for 5 years. He was arrested on 9 January 1999 at Gaza International Airport when he was returning from Sudan after finishing his university studies. He was convicted of having contact with and being a member of an illegal organisation.

On 16 March 2000, the Israeli Military Court sentenced the detainee Mohammed Faris, from Khan Younis, to 5 months imprisonment, with an additional 5 months suspended for 3 years. Faris was arrested on 8 March 2000, at Erez checkpoint and convicted of passing into Israeli without permission.

The Military Court also decided to extend the detention before trial of the following five detainees: Bassam Hasin, Yousif Qanan, Naji Salah, Ibrahim Muheisin, and Ossama Jima’a (all from the Gaza Strip).

At the same time the Israeli authorities continue to prevent the lawyer Andre Rosenthal, who was instructed by PCHR, from visiting the detainee Mohammed Bahri Al Hawati, 37 years old, who was arrested on 2 March 2000, and is being held in Ashkelon Prison. PCHR is concerned that the detainee Al Hawati may have been subjected to torture during his interrogation.

PCHR expresses its deep concern at the escalation, since the beginning of this year, of arrests by Israeli occupation forces of Palestinians at border crossings and checkpoints. PCHR is also deeply concerned at the harsh sentences being issued by the Israeli military court against the detainees.