Ref:
101/2010

The
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the detention of
Dr. Mahmoud al-Ramahi, the Secretary of the Palestinian Legislative Council
(PLC) from Change and Reform Bloc of Hamas Movement, by the Israeli Occupation
Forces (IOF). It believes that such a
detention is part of a continued targeting of PLC members, who were elected in
the elections of January 2006. PCHR
believes also that such a detention constitutes a form of reprisals and
measures of collective punishment against the Palestinian civilians, which are
prohibited according to article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949.

According
to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 03:25 on Wednesday, 10
October 2010, IOF stormed al-Shorfa neighborhood in al-Bireh town and broke
into a two-storey building belonging to Dr. Mahmoud Abdul Rahman al-Ramahi, 47,
the Secretary of PLC. After IOF entered
the house, they requested the IDs of the building’s residents. Before they retreated after 20 minutes, they
detained Dr. al-Ramahi and transported him to an unknown destination.

It
should be noted that this detention is part of an Israeli continued campaign,
which has targeted many MPs from the Change and Reform Bloc, ministers, and
members of local councils in the West Bank since the end of January 2006. That campaign targeted Dr. al-Ramahi, as he
was detained on 21 August 2006 and spent 32 months in IOF’s prisons until he
was released in the end of March 2009. Many MPs, mainly from the Change and Reform Bloc, have been detained in
IOF’s prisons so far.

PCHR
repeats its condemnation of  Dr.
al-Ramahi, and:

1. Emphasizes that
detention is a part of a planned targeting and undermining of the results of
the legislative elections, which was democratically conducted on 25 January
2006;

2. Emphasizes that
detention is a part of reprisals and collective punishment against the
civilians, which are prohibited by the Fourth Geneva Convention; and

3. Calls for the
immediate release of Dr. al-Ramahi and all Palestinian ministers and MPs
detained in IOF’s prisons.