Ref: 25/2009

Date: 09 February 2009

Time: 11:30 GMT  

Unknown Persons shoot at Offices of al-Hayat al-Jadeeda Newspaper in al-Bireh, and Car of Government Official in Nablus 

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns shootings by unidentified which targeted the offices of the al-Hayat al-Jadeeda newspaper in al-Bireh, and, in a separate incident, the car of the Director of the Department of the Interior Ministry in Nablus. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian government in Ramallah to investigate these attacks and to bring the perpetrators to justice.  

According to investigations carried out by PCHR, at approximately 00:30 on Sunday, 8 February, unidentified militants fired at offices of al-Hayat al-Jadeeda newspaper in al-Bireh town near Ramallah. The editor of the newspaper, Bashar Barmawi, told a PCHR field worker that while he and other staff members of the newspaper were on duty, unknown militant fired at their offices from a building opposite. No casualties were reported, but doors and windows were damaged. The chief of police in Ramallah stated that the police had launched an investigation into the attack and the assailants have not been identified. PCHR notes this attack is the second of its kind against the offices of al-Hayat al-Jadeeda newspaper in a month an a half.

On Monday morning, 9 February, two masked persons fired shots at the car of Ibrahim ‘Abdul Salam Salama, Director of the Department of the Interior Ministry in Nablus, while he was traveling in al-Quds Street opposite to Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. Salama’s guards returned fire. No casualties were reported and the assailants fled into the refugee camp.

The driver of the car, Mousa Mahmoud Salama, 30, stated to PCHR:

“At approximately 08:45 on Monday, 9 February, I was driving the car of the Director of the Interior Department in Nablus, Ibrahim ‘Abdul Salam Salama. We were traveling from ‘Anata village, east of Jerusalem, where we live, towards our work in Nablus. When we were at al-Quds Street near Balata refugee camp, we were surprised by two masked persons who fired shots at our car. The two bodyguards in the car fired back at the two masked persons, who were not hurt and were able to flee to the camp.”

PCHR is deeply concerned over the continued misuse of weapons, which is part of the state of security chaos plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The Centre calls upon the relevant authorities to investigate these attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice.