Ref: 145/2011

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is concerned over
the campaign of summons and arrests waged by the Internal Security Service
(ISS) in the Gaza Strip, which targeted dozens of members of Fatah Movement who
used to be members of former security services. 
PCHR calls upon the government in the Gaza Strip to stop the summons and
the detentions under degrading conditions, and calls for the immediate release
of political prisoners to create an appropriate atmosphere for the internal
reconciliation. 

Over the past week, PCHR has received dozens of complaints and
testimonies from activists of Fatah Movement who were repeatedly summoned and
detained.  According to information
available to PCHR, since the beginning of this month, the ISS has delivered
summons to activists of Fatah Movement to refer to ISS centers, each according
to his area of residence.  The complainers
reported that they were held from the morning until the evening.  They were summoned more than once, sometimes
on consecutive days.  A number of the
complainers reported that were held under degrading conditions, including
detention in small cells.  Some of them
were also questioned about their activities in the Fatah Movement and their
contracts with the government in Ramallah. 
An activist who was summoned a few weeks ago stated that ISS officers
raided and searched his house, and checked personal belongings without the
presence of female police officers. 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on 26 and 27
December 2011, 50 activists of Fatah Movement throughout the Gaza Strip were
summoned to ISS centers, each of them according to his area of residence.  When they went there, they were held for
several hours, during which they were questioned about their participation in
celebration and honor ceremonies of Palestinian prisoners who had been released
from Israeli jails. 

On 19 December 2011, ISS officers raided and searched 3 houses
belonging to 3 members of former security services in al-Maghazi refugee camp
in the central Gaza Strip.  They
confiscated computer sets and summoned the three persons to the ISS center in
Deir al-Balah on the following day.  When
those summoned went to the center, they were held for several hours, during
which they were questioned.  They were
then ordered to refer to the center again on 04 January 2012.  

On 13 December 2011, two members of former security services in the
central Gaza Strip were summoned to the ISS center in Deir al-Balah for the
following day.  When they went to the
center, they were held for several hours, during which they were
questioned.  They were then ordered to
refer to the center again.

Additionally, a number of members of former security services were
arrested by the ISS in the Gaza Strip. 
Some of the released detainees reported that were subjected to methods
of torture during interrogation. 

It should be noted that the ISS has recently waged a campaign of
arrests that targeted persons who used to work in the Palestinian General
Intelligence throughout the Gaza Strip. 
Some of the detainees were released, while others have remained in
custody.  The detainees were interrogated
by ISS officers and were accused of having contacts with Ramallah.  A released detainee reported that he was
subjected to method of torture while being interrogated in Gaza City for
accusations of having contacts with Ramallah. 
He stated that they placed a plastic bag over his head and that he was
subjected to Shabeh[1]
in a 20-square-meter room for 15 days, including 12 consecutive days.  He added that he was placed in a cell for
another 15 days together with another 6 persons.  They were interrogated and subjected to
methods of torture, including forcing them to hear extremely loud sounds.

PCHR reiterates its condemnation of political arrests and
accompanying methods of torture, and:

1. Emphasizes that “personal freedom is a natural right that is ensured
and cannot be prejudiced” according to the Palestinian Basic Law, which also
prohibits “arresting , checking, detaining or restricting the movement of a
person without a judicial warrant,” and “whoever is arrested or detained must
be informed of the reasons of his arrest or detention;”

2. Reminds of the Palestinian High Court of Justice ruling on 20
February 1999, which considers political arrests illegal, and all executive
bodies must respect the court ruling and abstain from carrying out illegal
political arrests;

3. Stresses that arrests are regulated by the Palestinian law and
fall within the competence of law enforcement officers who are represented in
the police and who receive orders from the Attorney General;

4. Calls for immediate release of all political prisoners detained
by Palestinian security services in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.