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| PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights PRESS RELEASE |
Ref: 167/2005
Date: 21 December 2005
Time: 12:00 GMT
Two Internationals Kidnapped in Gaza
On Wednesday morning, 21 December 2005, an armed group kidnapped the director of the American International School in Gaza (AISG) and his deputy. The latest crime reflects the recurrence of kidnapping cases, in the absence of effective measures by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) against kidnappings and other forms of security chaos.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 07:00 on Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 4 unknown armed persons intercepted a car, in which the Dutch Hendrik Taatgen, the Principal of the AISG, and the Australian Brian Ambrosio, his deputy, were traveling near Merry Land Hotel in al-Nasser Street in the north of Gaza City. The two were heading towards the AISG. The armed persons forced Tatgen and Ambrosio to get out of the car and took them to an unknown destination.
This latest incident comes as part of a pattern of kidnappings that has escalated in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2005. The PNA has failed to take effective measures to fight such crimes and bring their perpetrators to justice. Before this latest crime, at least 12 internationals had been kidnapped in 7 separate incidents. A number of Palestinian citizens had been also kidnapped. Even though none of the hostages were hurt, such crimes reflect the state of security chaos and attacks on the rule of law in the PNA controlled areas.
PCHR condemns this latest kidnapping and all crimes against foreigners:
1. PCHR is concerned about the failure of the PNA, represented by the Attorney-General’s office, to search for the perpetrators of these crimes and bring them to justice. In some cases in the past, the PNA even succumbed to the individualistic demands of the kidnappers instead of bringing them to justice. Escaping from justice and committing such crimes without punishment is the main reason for their recurrence. They have become a phenomenon that is detrimental to the PNA and the Palestinian people as a whole.
2. PCHR calls upon the PNA to take effective measures, in accordance with the law and human rights standards, to put an end to this phenomenon and other forms of security chaos.
3. PCHR calls upon all Palestinian national and Islamic factions and civil society groups to condemn, in the strongest terms, kidnapping foreigners; to isolate kidnappers; and to pressure the PNA to search for perpetrators of such crimes and bring them to justice.
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