Ref:
4/2011

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)
has followed, with concern, measures taken by the security services since the
beginning of the current month which restrict the public freedoms, especially
the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of opinion and
expression. PCHR condemns detention, accompanying the said measures, of civilians
including activists of the Fatah movement and journalists. Some of the detained
civilians were beaten. The Centre stresses that public freedoms, especially the
right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of opinion and expression,
are guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law and by international human rights
instruments.

The said measures have been taken in response
to initiatives launched by youth on the Facebook website, including the
“Dignity Day” initiative which called upon Palestinians to gather and
demonstrate on Friday, 11 February to protest against “Hamas’ continued
control over the Gaza Strip” and to put an end to the “ongoing
fragmentation,” as well as the initiative “the People Want to Put an
End to the Fragmentation” which calls upon
Palestinians to demonstrate and protest against the “continued Palestinian
fragmentation” and to call for “national reconciliation.”

According to PCHR investigations, the last
attack launched by the security services was against journalist Sameh Deeb
Ramadan, reporter and presenter of al-Shaab Local Radio, from Khan Younis, in
the southern Gaza Strip. On 14 February 2011, Ramadan was summoned by the
Internal Security Service (ISS) to appear before ISS on Tuesday, 15 February
2011. When Ramadan arrived at the ISS headquarters, he was served a new summons
to appear before the ISS on Thursday, 17 February 2011. On 05 February 2011,
Ramadan received a phone call from someone identifying himself as an ISS member
who accused Ramadan of disseminating the idea of a revolution.

At approximately 06:00 am on Monday, 14
February 2011, four armed persons in military uniform raided and searched the
house of Ahmed Erar al-Atawna in al-Nuseirat Refugee Camp in central Gaza. They
asked al-Atawna if he had a computer and he replied in the negative. They
confiscated his passport, ID card and mobile phone and served him a summons to
appear before ISS in Deir al-Balah on the same day. Al-Atawna presented himself
at the ISS headquarters in Deir al-Balah where he was detained for several
hours. Later, he was transferred to the ISS headquarters in Abu Khadra
Governmental Compound in Gaza city. Four investigators questioned al-Atawna
about the “the People Want to Put an End to the Fragmentation”
initiative launched on Facebook. Questioning was focused on funds, the
initiative’s connection with security services in the West Bank and the
relationship between the persons who launched this initiative and the
“Dignity Day” initiative which was launched on the same website.
Al-Atawna was released in the evening of the same day.

On 10 February 2011, the General Investigation
Service (GIS) detained Mazen Shaheen, Eyad Naser, and Nabil al-Agha, all of
whom are leaders within the Fatah movement. GIS members warned the three
leaders of participating in any activities or demonstrations relating to the
“Dignity Day” initiative. They were released several hours later. In
the evening of Thursday, 10 February 2011, and the morning of Friday, 11
February 2011, police and ISS detained ten civilians in Khan Younis city. The
detained civilians were warned of participating in the “Dignity Day”
initiative and were later released.[1]

On
Thursday, 10 February 2011, the GIS in Deir al-Balah detained approximately ten
civilians who are activists of the Fatah movement living in al-Nuseirat Refugee
Camp. The activists were questioned about their activities with Fatah, about
their communications through Facebook, and their connection with the
“Dignity Day” initiative.

In
the northern Gaza Strip, the ISS in Jabalia detained 13 leaders and members of
Fatah on Thursday morning, 10 February 2011. The ISS did not question the
detained persons, who were released on the same day, but asked them to appear
before the ISS the following day, Friday, 11 February 2011. They appeared
before the ISS on the following day and were detained and questioned about
their activities with Fatah and their relationship with the “Dignity
Day” initiative.

On
09 February 2011, the ISS in Rafah city detained eight Fatah activists from
Rafah. The detained activists were warned of participating in the “Dignity
Day” initiative and were then released. Earlier, the ISS in Rafah detained
two young members of Abu Hlal family for the same reasons.

On
Friday, 4 February 2011, members of the security services were deployed
extensively in streets and near main crossroads in various cities of the Gaza
Strip in preparation for demonstrations or assemblies relating to the
“Dignity Day” initiative. In Khan Younis, a number of civilians assembled
after the Friday prayer in Ahl al-Sunna Mosque Street. A number of them were
carrying paper banners. Supporters of Hamas arrived and confronted the
participants of the assembly. The two parties disputed and some of the paper
banners were torn. The police intervened and dispersed the assembly; a number
of participants were arrested and transferred to the police station in Khan
Younis. The arrested civilians were questioned about the “Dignity
Day” initiative and were then released in the morning of the following
day. In the same incident, journalist Shawqi Yahya al-Saqqa, reporter for
German television, from Khan Younis city southern the Gaza Strip was attacked
by security officers while covering the assembly. Approximately ten armed
individuals in civilian clothes surrounded al-Saqqa. They confiscated his
journalist identification and digital camera. They then beat and kicked him and
only left him after a number of GIS officers at the scene intervened.

On
31 January 2011, the Palestinian police detained six young women, including
journalists Nazeq Abu Rahma and Asmaa al-Ghoul, and two young men who attempted
to organize a sit-in at the Square of the Unknown Soldier in western Gaza city,
to express solidarity with the popular demonstrations in Egypt. The detained
civilians were questioned about the call for the solidarity sit-in, which had
been made through Facebook. Members of the police beat al-Ghoul. All the
detained civilians were forced to sign a pledge to abide by the law and not to
participate in any unlicensed assemblies and they were released.

In view of these recent measures taken to
restrict public freedoms, especially the right to peaceful assembly and the
right to freedom of opinion and expression, PCHR:

1- Stresses that the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by
Article 26 (5) of the Palestinian Basic Law and Article 2 of Law no. 12/1998
Concerning Public Assemblies which states that: “Palestinians shall have
the right to organize public meetings, seminars and demonstrations freely. No
prejudice may be made to this right and no restrictions may be imposed on it
unless in accordance with the provisions of this Law.”

2- Condemns repeated attacks on the right to freedom of expression and
on press freedoms and stresses that it is necessary to provide protection to
journalists and to the media and to take measures necessary to enable
journalists and the media to perform their duties freely. PCHR notes that the
right to freedom of expression and the press freedoms are guaranteed by the
Palestinian Basic Law and by international human rights instruments.

3- Calls upon the Palestinian security services to respect
international human rights standards, the Palestinian Basic Law, and other
relevant laws.