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Ref: 145/2004

Date: 02 October  2004

Time: 12:30 GMT

PCHR Condemns Murder of 2 Prisoners in Nablus Central Prison

PCHR strongly condemns the murder perpetrated by a number of Palestinian gunmen, which left dead 2 criminal prisoners in Nablus Central Prison on Friday, 1 October 2004.  This crime, which was not the first of its kind, indicates a total absence of the rule of law, the continued proliferation of weapons and the failure of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and law enforcement bodies to fulfill their duties to protect prisoners. 

According to information available to PCHR, at approximately 05:00 on Friday, 1 October 2004, 10 persons, disguised in military uniform and armed with light machine guns, entered the central prison of the Palestinian police in Nablus.  They broke into one of the rooms in the prison and shot dead 2 prisoners:

                  1.     Suleiman Mohammed ‘Ata Hashash, 23, from Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, convicted of killing Ghassan al-Teerawi in the beginning of this year; and

                  2.     Mahmoud ‘Ali Hassan al-Fatta, 18, from ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp west of Nablus, convicted of killing First Lieutenant ‘Abdul Qader Abu ‘Arab of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service 3 months ago. 

The gunmen also seriously injured a policeman, ‘Abed Ibrahim Abu Shamsa, 32, from Beeta village south of Nablus, with shrapnel throughout the body. 

Following this murder, a number of members of the al-Hashash family burnt butcher shops belonging to the al-Teerawi family.  A number of armed members of the al-Hashash family also rushed into the streets of Balata refugee camp and demanded the al-Teerawi family to hand 6 members of the family to Palestinian security services in 24 hours. 

PCHR strongly condemns such extra-judicial killing and the raid on a Palestinian prison, and strongly rejects taking the law into one’s hands by any individual to illegally kill others under whatever justification, since this act undermines the rule of the law.  PCHR believes that the PNA is fully responsible for the safety of prisoners detained in its prisons, including those who are convicted of murders and are threatened with revenge killings.  PCHR has noticed a failure by the PNA and law enforcement bodies to provide such protection. 

In the same context, a number of similar murders were committed in the past.  On 2 August 2004, a number of unknown persons threw 2 hand grenades inside a room in Gaza Central Prison, injuring 7 prisoners convicted of collaboration with Israeli occupying troops.  The seven prisoners were evacuated to Shifa Hospital, 2 of them were killed later by a number of gunmen and a third one died from his injury.  On 28 December 2003, a person, disguised in a police uniform, entered Gaza Central Prison and shot dead a prisoner, ‘Awni Abu Es’ayed, in revenge.  On 6 July 2004, a number of unknown persons broke into Ramallah district court and shot dead Kayed Abu Shelbaya, who was being tried for a criminal offence.  On 5 February 2002, 3 gunmen broke into the state security court in Jenin and shot dead 3 persons who were convicted of murders and collaboration with Israel.  On 14 July 2002, a number of gunmen broke into the state security court in Khan Yunis and shot dead a person who was convicted of collaboration with Israel.  It seems that the PNA has not absorbed lessons from those incidents and its prisoners have been still subject to threats. 

In light of the above, PCHR reiterates its call for the PNA to assume its responsibilities and take necessary steps to ensure the non-recurrence of such murders.  PCHR also reiterates its call for putting all prisons under the authority of the judiciary and activating monitoring of the prisons.    

“End”

Public Document

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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: [email protected], Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org