Ref: 56/2011

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)
condemns the use of force by the Palestinian police to disperse a sit-in
organized by families of Palestinians detained by Palestinian security service
in the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Monday. PCHR further condemns the
attack on a Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Muna Mansour,
and her daughter journalist, Ibtihal Mansour. PCHR calls upon the government in Ramallah to respect the right peaceful
assembly and the right to freedom of opinion and expression which are ensured
under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments, and
to put an end to political arrests.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR
and the testimonies of eyewitnesses, at approximately 11:30 on Monday, 13 June
2011, the Palestinian police, including female officers, dispersed a sit-in
organized by families of Palestinians detained by Palestinian security
services. A number of PLC Members from
the Change and Reform Bloc affiliated with Hamas participated in the sit-in,
which was organized at al-Shuhada Square in the center of Nablus. The police claimed that the organizers did
not obtain prior permission for the sit-in. Police officers also confiscated the mobile phone of Ibtihal Jamal
Mansour, who works for Middle East Monitoring Center, and serves as media
coordinator for the office of PLC Members from the Change and Reform Bloc. Members of the PLC intervened to prevent
police officers from confiscating Mansour’s camera. During the dispersion of the sit-in, PLC
Member, Muna Mansour, and her daughter, journalist Ibtihal Mansour, were
mis-treated. Female police officers
pushed PLC Member Mansour, even though they knew her identity. 

It is worth noting that Palestinian security
services in Nablus have arrested 5 Palestinians, and have summoned another 12
since the signing of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement in May 2011. 

In light of the above:

1. PCHR
emphasizes that the right to peaceful assembly is ensured under the Palestinian
Basic Law and international human rights instruments.

2. PCHR
calls upon the Palestinian government and security services to take necessary
steps to allow journalists to work freely, as is required by the right to
freedom of opinion and expression, which is ensured under the Palestinian Basic
Law and international human rights instruments.  

3. PCHR
calls upon the government in Ramallah to put an end to political arrests, and
calls upon security services to respect international human rights standards,
the Palestinian Basic Law and other relevant laws.