Ref: 59/2007
Date: 15 July 2007
Time: 13:00 GMT
PCHR Calls for Investigation into Attacks on Journalists and Maltreatment of Detainees by Executive Force
PCHR calls for opening an immediate investigation into attacks against 3 journalists while they were covering a demonstration organized by national factions in Khan Yunis on Thursday evening, 12 July 2007, forcing them to delete all video footages and photographs before releasing them. PCHR calls also for an investigation into violations, including beating and degrading treatment, against a number of people who were arrested following the demonstration.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 16:15 on Thursday, 12 July 2007, a demonstration was organized in Khan Yunis in response to an invitation by factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, calling for dialogue and condemning the military showdown. The organizers of the demonstration called for raising the Palestinian flag and to say slogans calling for unity. The demonstration moved towards Jalal Street, where it met with a larger demonstration organized by supporters of Fatah movement, who raised the flags of the movement and said slogans against Hamas and its leaders. Debate ensued between the organizers of the two demonstrations with regard to slogans. Soon after, the two demonstrations were united. The demonstrators moved towards ‘Abdul Nasser Street, where a number of them threw stones at the office of “Fatah al-Yasser” movement, which has been recently established in the Gaza Strip. They also exchanged verbal insults with those who were in the office. Debate ensued again among the organizers with regard to slogans and flags. The demonstration then moved towards Khan Yunis refugee camp. Some the demonstrators stopped on the way to the camp in order for factions to present their statements. However, the majority of the demonstrators moved towards the house of Mustafa al-Satari, a member of Fatah movement, in the refugee camp. On their way to the camp, number of boys threw stones at members of the Executive Force guarding the hospital and said slogans against Hamas. Members of the Executive Force fired into the air, and enforcements were brought to the area. Members of the Executive Force chased and dispersed the demonstrators. No casualties were reported.
Member of the Executive Force detained 3 journalists who were covering the demonstration and forced one of them to delete video footages and photographs from their cameras. The journalists are:
1) Rami Hasan Abu Shammala, a cameraman of Ramattan;
2) Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, a Reuters reporter; and
3) Bassam Mas’oud, a Reuters reported.
One of the journalists told PCHR that members of the Executive Force took them to the office of the force inside the hospital and forced them to delete video footages that showed members of the force fining into the air to disperse the demonstrations. They also warned and the threatened the journalists not to publish any of those footages.
In light of these incidents, at night, members of the Executive Force raided houses of a number of supporters of Fatah movement and arrested at least 20 people. According to information collated by PCHR, a number of detainees had their hair cut, which is a form of degrading treatment. One of the detainees, Eyad Ali Nasser, 35, a member of Fatah movement, told PCHR that he was arrested at midnight. During the raid on the house, his brother, 30-year-old Islam, was wounded by a gunshot to the right leg fired by members of Executive Force. Nasser was then taken to a site of the Executive Force, which used to be a police station. There, he was detained in a 4-square-meter cell together with some persons detained for criminal offences. At approximately 02:00, members of the Executive Force cut his hair completely in a form of degrading treatment. Nasser was released on Friday evening, 13 July 2007, after he had been interrogated and forced to sign a document pledging not to break the law and to respect public morals and other factions.
PCHR is deeply concerned over such practices, and:
1) Calls for opening an investigation into the attack on the three journalists and to take legal action against those who were involved in the attack.
2) Stresses that journalists and media institutions must be afforded protection to be able to carry out their jobs freely and enjoy their right to the freedom of expression.
3) Calls for investigating claims regarding torture, beating or degrading treatment during detention by the Executive Force and stopping such illegal practices.
4) Calls for complying with the legal procedures with regard to arrests and detention.
