HTML clipboard
| PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights PRESS RELEASE |
|
Ref: 162/2004
Date: 06 November 2004
Time: 11:30 GMT
PCHR expresses its great concern over the decline in internal Palestinian security.
PCHR expresses its great concern over the continued deterioration of Palestinian internal security. This has resulted from the proliferation of small arms and the disregard of the rule of law. Especially by those people who are members of law enforcement agencies or others affiliated to the PNA. PCHR point specially to two crime committed two days ago on Thursday 4th November in which 11 people including 10 member of the police force were injured when armed men fired at Gaza Central Prison (GCP). In the other instance a member of the preventative security murdered another person.
The first crime occurred on 4/11/04 at around 10.30 am when dozens of members of the Issa family along with Fatah member and supporters from the middle area gathered in front of the eastern gate of GCP. They were chanting slogans demanding the PNA excute the murderers of Mohammed Abdel Karim Issa, a Fatah activist form the middle. The protesters burned car tires but the situation soon deteriorated into a riot. Many people were armed, they fired at and into the GCP with rifles, threw grenades and even fired an RPG. Police returned fire, this confrontation lasted almost one and a half hours. It was eventually defused by the police and local Fatah leaders. At least 10 policemen and one civilian were injured in these clashes. A state of tension prevailed. Eyewitnesses described the scene as a battle ground.
It is worth noting that Mohammed Abdel Karim Issa was murdered inside Fatah offices in Buraij Refugee camp on October 12th 2004. When a group of armed men attacked and entered the office murdered him and stole his rifle. Later on charges were filed by the Attorney Generals Office for his murder, these people were being held by the PNA. They were brought before the civil court in the middle area on the 1st and 3rd of November. The trial was postponed until November 8th.
The second crime was committed in the evening of 4/11/2004 when a member of the preventative security services shot Ahed Zuhair Bsaiso, aged 36 from Gaza city, with an automatic weapon. He died on the spot. According to PCHR’s investigations at around 7.30 pm a member of the Preventative Security Force (PSF) (who’s name PCHR has) arrived in his jeep at a auto repair center owned by the Bsaiso (a mechanic) this repair center is located under Bsaiso’s house in Khalil El-Wazir street. The auto repair center was closed. Bsaiso apologized to them and asked that come the next day. The member of PSF insisted that his virchal be repaired immediately. Bsaiso refused and returned to his appatment. The member of the PSF waited outside and called his colleges, who arrived in a PSF virchaal. They were all armed and in black uniform. They insisted upon seeing Bsaiso. He left his apartment to speak to them, a brief argument ensued, at the end of which the original member of the PSF shot Bsaiso in the chest from point blank range.
PCHR has learned that the perpetrator is a member of the PSF death squad and has been detained by the PSF. Some of the members of the PSF death squad are criminals some were sentenced to many years or even death but have neither served their time nor been executed.
PCHR condemns these two crimes and expresses its deep concern that the level and frequency of such crimes is rising. These crimes are evidence of the decline in internal Palestinian security. In the light of an increasingly militarized society and proliferation of arms PCHR demands the PNA seriously investigated these crimes and takes the proper legal measures against the perpetrators. PCHR calls upon the PNA to end the current state of anarchy, especially by the members of the security services that are supposed to protect civilians. The security services should be brought to account and should be under the effective control of the central administration which is controlled ultimately by the elected politicians.
Public Document
**************************************
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: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
