Ref: 55/2008

Date: 16 June 2008

Time: 11:00 GMT   

PCHR Condemns Dispersing a Peaceful Assembly in Rafah by Police and Hamas Activists Using Force

PCHR strongly condemns attacks by the police and activists of Hamas against participants in an assembly organized by Fatah movement in Rafah last Saturday. PCHR calls for serious investigations into these attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice, stressing that the right to peaceful assembly is ensured by the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 20:00 on Saturday, 14 June 2008, dozens of children and activists of Fartah movement holding candles gathered near the house of Eyad ‘Aashour, who was killed during the internal fighting between Hamas and Fatah movements last year, in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the southern Gaza Strip of Rafah. While the leader of Fatah movement in the neighborhood was delivering a speech, a number of activists of Hamas and gunmen wearing civilian clothes intervened and started to disperse the gathering. Additionally, a unit of the Palestinian police arrived at the area, and its members used force to disperse the gathering. They attacked the participants using batons and gun butts, while the gunmen fired into the air. A number of participants sustained bruises, and one of them was admitted into Martyr Mohammed Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.

Islam Shahwan, the police spokesman, stated to a PCHR field worker that the police dispersed the assembly because it was illegal, and it obstructed the traffic and created chaos during the exams of the General Certificate of Education (Tawjihi). He further denied having any information that civilians and gunmen wearing civilian clothes participated in the dispersion of the assembly.

In light of the above, PCHR:

1)      Strongly condemns banning peaceful assemblies in the Gaza Strip and the dispersion of such assembly using force, including using batons against participants and other forms of violence and inhuman treatment, and stresses that people have a legitimate right to hold public meeting and organize sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations in accordance with the law.  

2)      Calls upon concerned authorities to immediately investigate these attacks, hold the perpetrators accountable and take necessary measures to ensure their non-recurrence.