Ref:
73/2012

The
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the use of force by the
Palestinian police, backed by security services, to disperse peaceful
demonstrations organized by dozens of Palestinians on Saturday, 30 June 2012,
and Sunday, 01 July 2012, in protest of a planned visit by Israeli Deputy Prime
Minister, and leader of the Kadima Party, Shaul Mofaz to Ramallah to meet with
the Palestinian President.  PCHR further
condemns the accompanying attacks on media professionals and threats to civil
society activists in Ramallah.  PCHR
calls upon the Palestinian police in Ramallah to respect the right to freedom
of opinion and expression and the right to peaceful assembly, which are ensured
under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments.

According
to investigations conducted by PCHR and statements given by eyewitnesses, at
approximately 17:00 on Saturday, 30 June 2012, dozens of Palestinians gathered
to organize a peaceful demonstration near al-Manara Square in the center of
Ramallah, in protest of a planned visit by Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul
Mofaz to Ramallah to meet with President Mahmoud Abbas.  The demonstrators walked towards the presidential
compound, but the Palestinian police stopped them.  As the demonstrators arrived near the Bir Zeit
public transport station in al-Ersal Street which leads to the al-Muqata’ah
(the presidential compound), police officers and members of the security
services in civilian clothes used clubs to beat demonstrators and media
professionals.  As a result, a number of
demonstrators and media professionals sustained bruises.  In addition, members of the General Investigations
Service (GIS) arrested 7 Palestinians, including journalist Mohammed Yasser
Jaradat, who was severely beaten in the GIS Headquarters although he told the
GIS that he is a journalist.  Jaradat was
transferred to the Palestine Medical Compound for medical treatment.  The other protestors were released 2 hours
later.

At
approximately 17:00 on Sunday, 01 July 2012, dozens of Palestinians gathered to
organize a peaceful demonstration near al-Manara Square in the center of
Ramallah, in protest of the attacks that took place the previous day.  As the demonstrators walked towards the presidential
compound and arrived near the Bir Zeit public transport station, police
officers and members of the security services in civilian clothes used clubs to
beat demonstrators and media professionals.  As a result, 8 Palestinians, including 4 media
professionals, sustained bruises.  In
addition, members of the GIS arrested 3 Palestinians, including Ahmed Mesleh (27),
a freelance journalist.  The protestors
were released 30 minutes later.

PCHR’s
fieldworker in Ramallah reported that GIS members and police officers tried to
confiscate Mesleh’s camera, and threatened to beat him, even though he told
them that he is a journalist.  Eyewitnesses
reported that the Chief of Police in Ramallah and al-Bireh Colonel Abdul Latif
Qaddoumi and his assistant, Mohammed Abu Bakr, were present and participated in
the use of force against the demonstrators.

PCHR
notes that Shaul Mofaz served as the IDF Chief of Staff between 09 July 1998
and 09 July 2002.  Under his command, the
Israeli Army implemented “Operation Defensive Shield” in the West
Bank.  This Operation, which started on
29 March 2002, resulted, inter alia, in the massacre in Jenin refugee
camp in the north of the West Bank.  On
04 November 2002, Mofaz was appointed as the Israeli Defense Minister.  When he was serving in these 2 positions, the
Israeli occupation forces committed many war crimes in the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip, resulting in the death and injury of hundreds of innocent
Palestinian civilians.  PCHR has filed several
cases before a number of European courts against Mofaz for his responsibility
for such crimes.

PCHR
strongly condemns the use of force against the 2 peaceful demonstrations and:

1. Strongly condemns the prevention of the organization of peaceful
demonstrations and the use of force to disperse demonstrators, and stresses
that Palestinians have a legal right to public meetings and to organize
peaceful protests.

2. Reiterates that the right to peaceful assembly (public meetings) is
ensured under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights
instruments.

3. The visit of Mofaz to Ramallah and receiving of him in the
Palestinian presidential compound constitutes, if they take place, a total disregard
for the feelings of the Palestinian people and an official denial of victims’
rights and the suffering of victims’ families.