PRESS RELEASE

Released @ 12:00 hours GMT 22 June 1998

The Ministry of Housing

Intentionally Defies a Decision of the Palestinian High Court

In a letter to the General Prosecutor, Dr. Ramadan Al-Najar, General Director of the Ministry of Housing and Consultant to the Minister, proclaimed that decision number 137-96 of the High Court was made under false pretenses. The decision called for an immediate halt to bulldozing and other measures taken by the Ministry of Housing regarding land parcels one and two of block number 2365.

The letter from the General Director follows intervention by the PCHR, which challenged the violation of the aforementioned decision of the court, the continued bulldozing, and other measures enacted by the Ministry of Housing on that land.

PCHR is shocked by the response of the Ministry of Housing, and condemns any further bulldozing of land as a violation of the decision made by the highest Palestinian judicial body. PCHR considers such bulldozing a violation of the independence of the Palestinian judiciary and a threat to its decision-making authority. This dangerous action should not be tolerated without strict consequences. PCHR invites the PA to take the following immediate steps. (1) Stop all bulldozing activities and oblige the Ministry of Housing to compensate the rightful beneficiaries of the land. (2) Punish all those who are involved in violating the law and the decisions of the Palestinian judiciary. (3) Oblige all bodies of the executive authority to respect and execute the decisions of the Palestinian court and respect the rule of law.