Ref: 49/2011 

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) calls upon the
Office of the Attorney General to effectively investigate the serious
deterioration in the health of Anwar Abu Ghanem, from Jabalya refugee camp in
the northern Gaza Strip. Ghanem was detained by the Internal Security Service
(ISS) in Gaza City. PCHR is concerned that
Abu Ghanem might have been subjected to beating or torture by ISS members while
in detention.
 

According to initial information available to PCHR, at
approximately 21:00 on Friday, 27 May 2011, Anwar Isma’il Abu Ghanem, 46, from
Block (1) in Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, who had been
detained by the ISS in Gaza City, was admitted into Shifa Hospital in Gaza
City, as he was suffering from cerebral bleeding. He was immediately taken into the Intensive
Care Unit (ICU), where he underwent surgery. Abu Ghanem is still in the ICU. 

According to Abu Ghanem’s family, he was arrested at his shop at
approximately 19:30 on Thursday, 14 April 2011, by 3 persons wearing civilian
clothes who did not introduce themselves. Those persons confiscated a personal
computer, a laptop and 4 mobile phones from the shop. On the same day evening, an ISS force arrived
at Abu Ghanem’s house. They searched the
house and confiscated Abu Ghanem’s car and a video camera. On 20 April 2011, Abu Ghanem’s son,
21-year-old Jihad, received a phone call from ISS officers who ordered him to
bring US$ 2,000. An ISS member took the
money and handed a receipt to his son. 

PCHR is concerned that Anwar Abu Ghanem might have been subjected
to torture by ISS members. PCHR calls
upon the Attorney General’s office to investigate this incident and publish the
results of investigation.