Ref: 74/2007
Date: 30 July 2007
Time: 11:30 GMT
PCHR Calls for Investigation into Wounding 9 Palestinians, Including 6 by Gunshots, during Arrest Campaigns by the Executive Force in the Gaza Strip
PCHR calls for opening an investigation into wounding 9 Palestinians, including a child and 2 women, during arrests campaigns by the Executive Force in the Gaza Strip. PCHR calls further for investigating acts of torture practiced by the Executive Force and the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) against a number of detainees.
According to investigations, at approximately 14:40 on Friday, 27 July 2007, at least 15 members of the Executive Force raided houses in Rafah refugee camp to arrest a number of people, after a number of members and supporters of Fatah movement interrupted preacher Mohammed Mismeh in al-Mustafa Followers Mosque in Rafah refugee camp and left the mosque. The preacher talked about political issues related to the crisis of Rafah International Crossing Point, cutting off salaries of 31,000 employees, and burning the house of the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
The Executive Force arrested 5 persons:
1) ‘Essam Subhi Ahmed, 44, an activist of Fatah movement;
2) Mohammed Hasan al-Mzayen, 43, an activist of Fatah movement;
3) Ashraf ‘Abdul Fattah Abu Zaid, 30;
4) Kamal Suleiman Zannoun, 56; and
5) ‘Abdul Latif Hussein Zannoun, 44.
During these house raids, a number of people threw stones and empty bottles at members of the Executive Force. The Executive Force claimed that its members were fired at from the roof of a house belonging to the Zannoun clan, so reinforcements were sent to the area and the Executive Force returned fire. As a result, 3 persons were wounded:
1) Mohammed Kamal Zannoun, 17, wounded by a gunshot to the left leg;
2) Mahrous ‘Eissa Baker, 23, a bystander, wounded by a gunshot to the left foot; and
3) Muntasser Salah Abu Taha, 19, wounded by shrapnel to the right hand.
Members of the Executive Force also violently beat two persons:
1) Sameer Yousef al-Mughrabi, 40; and
2) Saleem Nassar Zannoun, 41.
Later, the Executive Force released all detainees following the intervention of Dr. Sayed Abu Msameh, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council representing the Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform Bloc; Dr. Ghazi Hamad, the spokesman of the dismissed Palestinian government; and some member of the Popular Resistance Committees. The released detainees told PCHR that they were interrogated about what happened inside the mosque and the identity of those who fired at the Executive Force. They also told PCHR that they were subjected to degrading treatment and beating with plastic hoses.
At approximately 11:00 on Thursday, 26 July 2007, at least 40 members of the Executive Force raided the house of Akram Sa’id al-Farra in al-Farra quarter in Khan Yunis to arrest him after an earlier quarrel between him and a number of members of the Executive Force. During the house raid, members of the Executive Force fired into the air and beat members of the al-Farra’s family who attempted to prevent them from arresting him. As a result, 3 members of the family, including two women, were wounded:
1) Samia al-Farra, 60, wounded by two gunshots to the left leg;
2) Ameera ‘Izziddin al-Farra, 25, wounded by shrapnel to the legs; and
3) Ihsan ‘Abdul Shafi al-Farra, 22, wounded by several gunshots to the legs.
Three others also sustained bruises as they were beaten by members of the Executive Force. Approximately an hour later, members of the Executive Force withdrew from the area arresting ‘Abdul Raziq and ‘Abdul Malek al-Farra. In the evening, the two detainees were released after Akram al-Farra, the target of the house raid, had surrendered to the Executive Force. He was released on Saturday noon, 28 July 2007.
On Thursday, 26 July 2007, the Executive Force arrested 14 persons in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun and detained him at Jabalya police station. Most of the detainees were released later. Four of these detainees told PCHR that they were interrogated, tortured and violently beaten by members of the Executive Force. They told PCHR that members of the Executive Force forced them to sit in a squat position with their faces towards walls and violently beat them using knouts.
In light of the above:
1) PCHR strongly condemns such practices and calls for initiating an immediate investigation, bringing those who were involved in them to justice and taking necessary measures to ensure their non-recurrence.
2) PCHR reminds that torture is prohibited under the Palestinian law, and constitutes a grave breach of international human rights instruments, particularly the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984.
