Security Chaos and Misuse of Weapons

Attacks against Officials and Public Institutions

Field Update

14 May 2009

Unknown Persons Set Fire to Military Prosecution Chairman’s Car in Nablus

Yesterday morning, unknown persons set fire to a car belonging to Rami Mahmoud Taqateq, the Chairman of the Military Prosecution in Nablus.  This incident forms part of the security chaos and misuse of weapons plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ (PCHR) investigations indicate that, at approximately 02:00am on Wednesday, 13 May 2009, unknown persons set fire to the Chairman’s car. The black Volkswagen Polo, which holds a governmental registration plate, was in a closed yard, 300 meters away from Taqateq’s house in ‘Askar refugee camp, northeast of Nablus.  The car was completely burnt.

Taqateq stated to a PCHR fieldworker that:

“At approximately 02:00 on Wednesday, 13 May 2009, I was sleeping in my house in ‘Askar refugee camp, northeast of Nablus, when I was awaken by the phone ringing.  It was one of my neighbors who informed me that my car was set alight.  My car is Volkswagen Polo with a governmental registration plate. It was in a closed yard, about 300 meters far from my house. I immediately phoned the Civil Defense Service, the Palestinian police and the Palestinian Criminal Investigations Service.  When the Civil Defense Service arrived at the scene, fire had completely destroyed the car.  Fire then was extinguished.  Shortly later, the police and the Criminal Investigations Service arrived and opened investigation into the incident.  I am waiting for the investigations’ results to reveal the circumstances of the incident and to know the perpetrators”.

PCHR is concerned over continued attacks against private and public property, which form part of the security chaos and misuse of weapons plaguing the OPT.  PCHR calls upon concerned authorities to open investigations into this incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice.