This report is based on a three-week fact-finding mission to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in July 1996 and on follow-up work conducted since then.
Human Rights Watch spoke with released detainees, lawyers, human rights activists, journalists, editors, members of the Legislative Council and representatives of the Palestinian Authority, in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jericho, Bethlehem and throughout the Gaza Strip. Wherever possible, the persons interviewed are identified by name. However, most Palestinians spoke to Human Rights Watch on the condition that their names not be used in our report. Some persons also requested that their city of residence not be identified, for fear that this would reveal their identities.
Two key PA officials whom we had hoped to interview, PA Minister of Justice Freih Abu Medein and Attorney General Khaled al-Qidrah, declined to make themselves available during this fact-finding mission, despite numerous attempts by our researcher to arrange meetings. Since that mission, Human Rights Watch sent several letters requesting official responses to some of the concerns voiced in this report. These letters, which are reproduced in Appendix B, were addressed to President Arafat and were copied to several other PA officials. To date, no reply has been received.