President Mahmoud Abbas
Office of the President
Al Muqata'a, Ramallah
Your Excellency,
I am writing to express our concern at apparently unlawful and abusive actions by Palestinian National Authority (PNA) security services in Ramallah on August 25, 2010. We request that the authorities conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into this incident and hold accountable any General Intelligence Service officials or other Palestinian security service officials found to have acted in violation of Palestinian law or in contravention of international human rights standards.
According to information Human Rights Watch has received, at around noon on August 25, members of the General Intelligence Service disrupted a peaceful assembly organized by Palestinian political factions and civil society organizations to protest the PNA decision to participate in direct negotiations with Israel scheduled to commence in Washington on September 2. Security forces prevented the groups from convening a press conference scheduled to be held in the hall of Ramallah's Protestant Church and arrested Dr. Mohammed Jadallah, an independent political activist, according to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.
Security officers assaulted journalists and members of a human rights organization. Police present at the scene told witnesses that the security officers, who were in plain clothes, were members of the General Intelligence Service, which reports to your office. Security officers attacked a television crew from the Watan station who were attempting to cover the event. Security officers also assaulted staff members of the human rights organization al-Haq when they went to investigate. Al-Haq staff member Wesam Ahmad attempted to take photographs and was assaulted by a man in plain clothes who knocked his camera to the ground. When Ahmad asked why photographs were prohibited, 10 plainclothes security agents surrounded him and confiscated the camera, which has so far not been returned. A security official stepped on the feet of another al-Haq staff member, Nina Atallah, requiring her to seek medical treatment at a Palestinian Red Crescent Society hospital.
Human Rights Watch takes no position on the views expressed at the press conference, but affirms the right of the participants to peacefully voice their opinions.
We have documented a number of cases in recent months of abuses by members of PNA security services, especially Preventive Security and General Intelligence. Abuses included the arbitrary arrest and detention, assault and other forms of ill-treatment of numerous Palestinian journalists.
We note that your office has stated it would investigate the August 25 incident in Ramallah. We encourage you to ensure that the investigation is prompt, transparent and impartial, and includes an examination of the orders given to the General Intelligence Service or other security services that day. Any member of the security forces who acted unlawfully, including commanders, should be appropriately disciplined or punished. Victims of excessive force or other unlawful conduct should receive compensation. Pending the conclusion of a prompt and thorough inquiry, we request you to ensure that Dr. Jadallah receives appropriate compensation and that General Intelligence immediately returns Al Haq's camera and any other property confiscated that day.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We stand ready to discuss this and other human rights concerns with your office at any time.
Sincerely,
Joe Stork
Deputy Director
Middle East and North Africa Division
