PRESS RELEASE

The Palestinian High Court of Justice Orders the

Immediate Release of Marwan Eisa.

Ref.: 32/99

Date: 14^th March, 1999

Today, March 14^th, the Palestinian High Court of Justice ordered the immediate release of Marwan Abdel Karim Eisa, 34 years old from Bureij Camp. He was arrested by Palestinian Preventative Security on March 16^th 1996 without a warrant, in defiance with Palestinian law. No charges have ever been filed against him since that day.

On October 24^th, 1998, lawyers from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) acting as representatives of Eisa, applied to the High Court of Justice to demand his immediate release for this illegal arrest. The Palestinian Attorney General’s office was given a period of 8 days in which to respond to PCHR’s demand by the Court.

On December 2^nd, 1998, the Attorney General’s office finally responded to the demand stating that Marwan Eisa was legally detained and his file has been reviewed by the State Security Court, where he is still under interrogation. Lawyers from PCHR rejected this response, considering it contradictory with Palestinian laws and rejecting the fact that Eisa has been interrogated for a period of three years without any charges being filed against him. Lawyers also demanded that the Attorney General’s office bring before the Court the file of Eisa and the extension of his detention by the State Security Court. On December 13^th, the court ordered the Attorney General’s office to bring Eisa’s file to verify their response.

Today, March 14^th, the High Court of Justice ordered Eisa’s release after the Attorney General’s office failed to bring his file before the court and acknowledged that it does not know about the charges or the extension of the detention period. In fact, no file for Eisa exists at the Attorney General’s office.

While PCHR expresses its deep satisfaction with the court decision, it expresses its outrage at the behaviour of the Attorney General’s office over the last three years, with regard to this case. PCHR calls upon the PA to review hundreds of similar files for detainees illegally held in Palestinian prisons and detention centres. PCHR expresses its solidarity with the just demand of these detainees. These demands concern either their release or bringing them before civil and fair trials in accordance with the law.

It should be noted that a similar decision was issued by the court on June 4^th 1998, ordering the immediate release of Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi. Another similar decision was issued by the court on February 20^th 1999, ordering the immediate release of Wa’el Faraj. Both Rantisi and Faraj are still held by the PA in defiance with the Court’s decision.