Press Release

The International Commission of Jurists’ Delegation continues its Mission Observing the Situation of the Judiciary in Gaza

Date: 23 January 2000

Ref: 8/2000

On Saturday 22 January 2000, the third day of PCHR’s hosting of the International Commission of Jurists’ delegation headed by Mr Adama Dieng, the Secretary General of the ICJ, the delegation continued its mission observing the judiciary in Gaza. The delegation, accompanied by lawyer Iyad El Alami (coordinator of the Legal Aid Unit at PCHR), carried out a tour of Gaza Central Prison. The delegation was introduced to the prisoners’ living conditions and the treatment received by them from the prison administration in Gaza. Colonel Hamdi El Rifi, Director of Prison Administration welcomed the delegation and conducted their tour.

On the same day, the delegation, accompanied by Raji Sourani (Director of PCHR), held a meeting with Mr Zuhier Sourani, the Palestinian Attorney General, in his office. El Sourani introduced the delegation to the work of and the conditions affecting the office of the Attorney General in the PNA areas.

In addition the delegation met Colonel Saib El Qidwa, the Military Prosecutor, and Mr Khalid El Qadrah, the Attorney General of the State Security Court. The delegation heard about the mechanisms of military prosecution and the work of the State Security Court, and how cases are treated before the military and State Security courts.

The delegation ended its meetings on Saturday with a meeting with a number of judges from the Gaza Strip and Mr Ibrahim El Daghma, Head of the Legislation and Fatwa Agency. The judges outlined for the delegation the situation of the judiciary in Gaza, highlighting the circumstances relating to the Law of Judicial Independence.

Today, Sunday 23 January 2000, the delegation continued its mission by meeting with a number of people concerned with the Palestinian judiciary. The delegation met Mr Radwan El Gha, Chief Justice, and other judges of the high court accompanied by Raji Sourani. The meeting discussed the conditions of the judiciary in Palestine. Also, the delegsation met Mr Hisham Abed El Raziq, Minister of Prisoners’ and Released Prisoners’ Affairs, who provided the delegation with a detailed description of the miserable condition of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and the continued Israeli delays and evasions in releasing Palestinian prisoners.

The delegation also met with Mr Abed El Rahman Abu El Nasser, the Head of the Bar Association in Palestine and the members of the Administrative Board of the Bar

Association. The meeting outlined the work and situation of the Bar Association, and the procedures of the legal profession (including their relationship with the Palestinian

judiciary and the Attorney General) and highlighting the position of the Bar Association regarding appearing before the State Security Courts.

Tommorow the delegation will have further meetings with Mr Hassan Asfour, Minister of NGOs affairs, Dr Haider Abed El Shafi, the General Commissioner for the Independent Commission for Citizens Rights, Dr Amin Makki Madani, the First Technical Advisor for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Brigadier Ghazi El Jabali, General Director of police.

The delegation will end its mission tomorrow, Monday 24 January 2000, by holding a workshop in Al Quds Hotel in Gaza, on the Role of the Judiciary in Civil Society, under the auspices of the Palestinian Minister of Justice and in cooperation with the local affiliates of the International Committee of Jurists (PCHR, Al Haq and LAW). The workshop will discuss the role of the judiciary in protecting human rights and the relation of the legislative and executive authorities to the judicial authority.