Ref: 85/2009

Date: 05 July 2009

Time: 11:10 GMT

PCHR condemns ban on Hizb-Ut-Tahreer peaceful conference in Ramallah  

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the ban imposed by Palestinian security services in the West Bank on the organization of a peaceful public conference by the Islamic Hizb-Ut-Tahreer (Liberation Party) in Ramallah. PCHR calls upon the government in Ramallah to respect public freedoms, and stresses that the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of expression are ensured by Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments.

According to information obtained by PCHR from Ibrahim al-Shareef, a member of the Hizb-Ut-Tahreer media committee, on 09 June 2009, the party sent a letter to the Governor of Ramallah and al-Bireh informing him that the party would organize a conference at 17:30 on Saturday, 04 July 2009, at Ramallah Secondary School, on the anniversary of the dismantlement of the Islamic Caliph’s Rule.  On 28 June 2009, the party received a phone call from the director of the Governor’s office, in which they were informed that the Ministry of Interior in Ramallah rejected the conference being held at the aforementioned school, and proposed holding it in a closed hall, but the party refused. On Saturday morning, 04 July 2009, Palestinian security services erected a number of checkpoints inside and at the entrances of Ramallah and al-Bireh towns, and stationed a number of security vehicles inside the school, where the conference was supposed to be held.  Palestinian security services prevented members and supporters of the Hizb-Ut-Tahreer from reaching the school, so the party was forced to cancel the conference.

In light of the above:

1) PCHR strongly condemns the prevention of peaceful gatherings in the West Bank and the use of force in dispersing demonstrators, and stresses that people have the right to organize peaceful assemblies, public meetings and demonstrations in accordance with the law.

2) Emphasizes that neither the governor nor the police has any legal right to license or prevent any public meeting, peaceful demonstration, or any other form of peaceful assembly, as the law calls for only “informing” the governor or the police by the organizers, and that the police has the right to impose some limitations “for traffic control.”

3) PCHR expresses utmost concern over the recurrence of violations of the right to freedom of expression, and stresses that the right to freedom of expression is ensured under Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments.