Ref: 39/2014
Date: 30 March 2014
Time: 12:00 GMT

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns dispersal by Palestinian security services of a private meeting (religious sermon) organized by Hizb Ut-Tahrir (Liberation Party) at Jamal Abdul Nasser Mosque in al-Bireh on Sunday, and the attacks against journalists working for the local Watan TV and arrests of dozens of civilians. PCHR calls upon the government in Ramallah to take the necessary measures to respect the civilians’ right to hold public and private peaceful assemblies and respect press freedoms that are guaranteed under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights standards.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and the statement of an eyewitness, at approximately 19:20 on Saturday, 29 March 2014, supporters of the Islamic Hizb Ut-Tahrir held a religious sermon following al-Maghrib prayer at Jamal Abdul Nasser Mosque in al-Bireh in the centre of the West Bank. Security officers in plain clothes were present in the mosque, so they closed the gates, excluding the eastern one. They made some calls, due to which security back-ups arrived and started dispersing the meeting and searching all those who got out through the eastern gate. According to Mr. Baher Saleh, member of the Information Office of the Hizb Ut-Tahrir, security officers arrested dozens of persons who were inside the mosque to attend the sermon. He added that a number of the detainees were released, but others had been kept in custody.

Furthermore, the same security officers stopped 2 staff members of the local Watan TV, Ahmed Melhem, a reporter, and Ahmed Zaki, a cameraman, and prevented them from covering what had happened. Ahmed Melhem said to a PCHR fieldworker:

“I was with my colleague, Ahmed Zaki, in Jamal Abdul Nasser Mosque to cover a religious sermon of Hizb Ut-Tahrir following al-Maghrib prayer yesterday. When we tried to go out, security officers in plain clothes stopped us and tried to forcibly confiscate the camera from my colleague. We refused that and showed our cards. Two other officers violently took us outside. I was beaten up. We were then taken to the security jeeps. They ordered us to get in, but I refused. In the meantime, an officer in military uniform interfered and ordered the security members to release us. They released us and ordered us to immediately leave the place.”

PCHR strongly condemns this incident and stresses that:

1. The Palestinian Basic Law guarantees the right to hold private meetings without the intervention of the Palestinian police according to article (26-5) which stipulates: “Palestinians… shall have the following rights in particular: …. To conduct private meetings without the presence of police members, and to conduct public meetings, gatherings and processions, within the limits of the law;”
2. The right to hold private peaceful assemblies in closed places, such as seminars, workshops and celebrations, do not fall within the scope of application of the Public Meetings Law 12/1998. Therefore, organizers of such meetings are no required to notify the Palestinian police or mayors according to the law; and
3. The right to freedom of opinion and expression and press freedoms are guaranteed according to articles 19 and 27 of the Palestinian Basic Law. Article (27-2) provides: “Press, printing, publishing, distribution and broadcast freedoms are guaranteed according to the Palestinian Basic Law and other relevant laws”.

Therefore, PCHR:

1. Calls upon the government in Ramallah to take the necessary measures to respect the civilians’ right to hold public and private peaceful assemblies and respect press freedoms and to not reiterate such attacks; and
2. Calls upon the security service to respect the right to freedom of holding public and private peaceful assemblies and respect press freedoms that are guaranteed under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights standards.