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Professional Associations Demand Release of Political Prisoners

Ref:68/2001

Date:14-November, 2001

Professional associations have joined other civil society groups in demanding the release of the lawyer Mr. Younis al-Jaru and Dr. Rabah Muhanna, currently held by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) despite a ruling by the Palestinian High Court of Justice on 7 November 2001 ordering their immediate release.

At 11.00 local time yesterday, lawyers across the Occupied Palestinian Territories stopped work for one hour to protest the continued detention of Mr. al-Jaru, a prominent attorney and former deputy head of the Palestinian Bar Association.  Tomorrow, the Arab Lawyers’ Union will publish a statement in al-Quds newspaper calling for Mr. al-Jaru and Dr. Muhanna to be released immediately. 

Today, the Palestinian Medical Association will issue a petition signed by nearly 400 doctors demanding the release of Dr. Muhanna, who is the director of a health services NGO and a former vice president of the Palestinian Medical Association.

Both Mr. al-Jaru and Dr. Muhanna are leaders in the political wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and prominent figures in the OPT.  They were arrested without charge by Palestinian police on 18 October after the PFLP claimed responsibility for the assassination of Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Ze’evi in occupied east Jerusalem.  On 7 November, the Palestinian High Court of Justice declared their arrests illegal and ordered their immediate release.

PCHR reminds the Palestinian police that failure to implement judicial decisions is punishable by up to two years in prison under Article 143 of Penal Law 1936 (Breaches of Legal Orders).  Furthermore, PCHR reiterates its demand for the immediate release of the 20 other PFLP activists held without charge and that the PNA put an end to politically-motivated arrests.