PRESS RELEASE

Released @ 12:00 hours GMT, 8^th November, 1998

The PA Arrests a Number of Supporters of the Secular Opposition in Gaza

After launching a massive wave of arrests of around 200 persons from the Islamic opposition in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has now extended these arrests to supporters of the secular opposition. By the evening of Friday November 6^th, the Palestinian police had arrested 7 supporters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). These arrests were carried out in the background of a rally organised in Jabalia refugee camp by the two groups, PFLP and DFLP, on the afternoon of November 6^th. During this rally, the most recent Wye River Memorandum that was signed by President Arafat, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Clinton in the White House on 23^rd Oct was condemned. During the rally, both American and Israeli flags were burned.

Yesterday (November 7^th), the Palestinian police released three of the detained men, whilst the other four remain in custody at the police department in Gaza City. Their names are:

Fayez Abu Sharekh

Lo’ai El-Za’aneen

Nasser Nasser

Ramez Okasha

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights expresses its deep concern about this campaign of arrests , whereby the PA is arresting its opponents for their political views. Indeed, the arrests are this time extended to supporters of secular factions which are part of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and which are legally present in areas under PA jurisdiction, despite their opposition to the interim agreements. PCHR believes that the continuation of the arrest campaign in the aftermath of signing the Wye River Memorandum constitutes a major threat to the freedom of expression and political pluralism. Moreover, it undermines all efforts to establish a democratic system in Palestine.