PRESS RELEASE
The Palestinian Police Question Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj
Ref : 75/99
Date: 5th August 1999
The Palestinian police summoned Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj, director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, during the afternoon of Thursday, August 5, 1999. The police interrogated him in regard to an article that was published in LAW’s People’s Rights monthly magazine. At the end of the interrogation El-Sarraj was informed that he is not allowed to travel.
The police summoned him by telephone and El-Sarraj arrived at the headquarters of the police at approximately 2:00 p.m. He was at the police headquarters until 4:15 p.m. El-Sarraj testified to his lawyer from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) that General Ghazi Jabali met him at the police headquarters. Jabali informed El-Sarraj that a report had been given to President Yasser Arafat regarding his article. Consequently, the President transferred the report to Jabali for investigation. Jabali informed El-Sarraj that in his article he referred to the weakness of the Palestinian Authority and its corruption and that he accused the President of obstructing the law. It is apparent that Jabali was hinting at what had been mentioned in El-Sarraj’s article regarding the President’s rejection of the NGO law that passed in the Palestinian Legislative Council’s third reading. For his part, El-Sarraj rejected the claim that the article leveled accusations at the President and he asserted that he merely published facts based on statements already made by ministers and leaders of the Palestinian Authority. El-Sarraj was then transferred to another investigator to take his testimony and he was orally informed that he is not allowed to leave the country until further notice.
El-Sarraj is one of the most prominent Palestinian human rights activists. He was previously arrested several times by the Palestinian Authority as a result of his published articles and statements in which he criticized the performance of the Palestinian Authority.
PCHR is gravely concerned about the order prohibiting El-Sarraj from leaving the country as this violates the basic human right to freedom of movement. PCHR calls on the Palestinian police to reconsider this order, especially as no charges were brought against El-Sarraj.
For More Information Contact:
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Tel/Fax: (+) 972 7 2823725 / 2825893
E-mail: pchr@trendline.co.il, Web page: www.pchrgaza.org
