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| PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights PRESS RELEASE |
Ref: 139/2005
Date: 14 November 2005
Time: 12:30 GMT
PCHR Condemns Attack on CEC Office in Rafah
An armed group, calling itself the “Islamic Army”, stormed the office of the Palestinian Central Election Commission (CEC) in Rafah on Monday morning. The group demanded the staff to close the office, claiming that it is a center of depravity which witnesses immoral acts.
According to preliminary investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 11:00 on Monday, 14 November 2005, 4 masked and armed persons broke into the CEC office in Rafah and ordered its staff members to leave and close the office within an hour. A masked person handed a leaflet signed by the “Islamic Army” to the staff and fled quickly.
The strongly-worded leaflet claimed that “foreign states and collaborators among our people plan conspiracies under the terms of democracy, liberation and freedom of women.” “Based on written and photographed evidence, we declare the closure of a center of depravity which witnesses acts that contradict our morals and religion, taking into consideration that there are plans by collaborators to make use of elections to inflame internal fights among our Moslem people,” the leaflet added.
Soon, the CEC staff members called the police, which sent a patrol to guard the office. They also contacted representatives of political parties and invited them to come to the headquarters of the CEC to discuss this issue.
It is worth noting that this attack is not the first of its kind, as the CEC office in Deir al-Balah was subject to a similar attack. On 8 May 2005, an armed group claiming to be from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah movement, raided the CEC office in the Deir al-Balah, which serves the central Gaza Strip. The group requested the director of the office and his staff to close the office and all election registration centers throughout the central Gaza Strip. The director was forced, following contact with the CEC in Ramallah, to close the office and registration centers for one day.
PCHR strongly condemns this attack on the CEC office in Rafah, and:
1. Calls upon the Palestinian National Authority, represented by the Attorney General, to investigate this attack and search for, and bring its perpetrators to justice.
2. Expresses its full support to the CEC’s efforts in preparation for the next parliamentary elections and hopes these elections will be held as planned on 25 January 2005.
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