Scores of Hamas detainees on hunger Strike

Hamas protest unlawful detention in Palestinian gaols

Released on 14 October 1997 at 13:00 hours GMT

For the third consecutive day, scores of prisoners affiliated to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) have been on hunger strike in Palestinian prisons. In a letter received by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the hunger-striking prisoners stated that they were protesting against their illegal and unjust detention. They stated, in the letter smuggled out from the prison, that the situation in the prisons is close to explosive and that they were being detained as “hostages of a political process without start or end”.

The lawyers of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, despite numerous requests, have not yet been permitted to visit any of the hunger-striking prisoners. The prison administration will only permit such access when a permit is granted by President Arafat or the Police Chief Ghazi Jabali. Presently the Palestinian Centre is seeking to obtain special permission from the Attorney-General to visit the prisoners and to assess their health and conditions of detention.

Information received by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights indicates that some 50 detainees affiliated to Hamas began an open-ended hunger strike on Sunday 12 October 1997. In response, the security forces separate them and consequently their conditions of detention may be worse. Whereas a groups of prisoners usually occupy large cells together, the hunger-strikers have been separated and moved to smaller cells; four detainees to a two-person cell. Others have been moved from Gaza Central Prison (Saraya). Ten were moved to Police Headquarters in Gaza City. While another two were moved to the Preventive Security headquarters.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights warns of the deterioration of the conditions and health of the Hamas detainees and calls upon the Palestinian National Authority to release them, and should publicly declare their intention to respect human rights and the rule of law.

In particular, the Palestinian National Authority should resist pressure from foreign governments, in particular the United States and Israel to violate the human rights of the Palestinian people. Especially as a number of these prisoners were detained in similar circumstances in late February 1996, when an arrest campaign was undertaken against Hamas activists following suicide bomb attacks.

Then, as now, the detainees were arrested without due process, held without charge and are being denied the possibility of being brought before a judge. Other instances of illegal imprisonment and violation of due process have occurred recently. On 15 August 1997, 11 prisoners were released upon an order by the Attorney-General Fayez Abu Rahmah but they were re-detained three hours later by Palestinian security services.

The Palestinian Legislative Council and Palestinian human rights groups have asked for the release of all these prisoners, or, as required by law, for them to be brought before a court for a fair trial. In every instance, these detainees have been persistently and steadfastly denied these basic rights.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights while acknowledging there are political pressures exerted believes that the Palestinian National Authority should respect the rule of law and human in Palestine in the face of these demands to violate Palestinian human rights. Indeed, it is absurd that the Palestinian National Authority is undertaking these arrests and detentions at the very same time that the Israel is releasing leading Hamas activists.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights demands that all those unlawfully imprisoned for their political or religious beliefs are released.