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PALESTINIAN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

PRESS RELEASE

Ref: 37/2004

Date: 02 March 2004

Time: 10:00 GMT

PCHR Calls upon the Palestinian Authority to Investigate Attack against Land Authority Headquarters

PCHR is gravely concerned about the attack against the Palestinian Land Authority headquarters in Gaza city on 25 February 2004, when a number of armed persons broke into the headquarters and demanded areas of land, claiming that they obtained the Palestinian President’s approval. 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, about 20 armed persons raided the headquarters of the Palestinian Land Authority and demanded areas of land, claiming that the Palestinian President approved it.  Chaos and tension spread in the headquarters as the attack took place during work hours. 

In a statement released on 28 February 2004, the Land Authority declared that it would suspend work at its departments to save the establishment which preserves documents related to Palestinian land ownership.  The Land Authority considers the group which attacked its headquarters similar to other groups that had seized and built on some of the most important areas of land devoted for public services.  The statement further added that despite there having been contacts between the authority and security services to stop such attacks, the failure to stop these attacks have had devastating results. 

PCHR strongly condemns this attack and believes that it threatens the interests of the Palestinian people.  PCHR calls upon the Palestinian Authority to investigate this attack, arrest the perpetrators, and bring them to justice in order to ensure the rule of law in Palestinian society. 

Public Document

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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail:pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org