Palestine

April 13, 2013

Palestine: Hamas Must Stop its Predominance against the Independence of the Universities and Stop the Repression of the Academic Freedoms

Cairo April 13, 2013

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), denounces today the arrest of a professor on allegations of using illegitimate terms in his lecture. He was arrested by the Palestinian authority in Gaza strip which, controlled by Hamas.

“Khader Atteiah Mehraiz”, the modern literature criticism professor in “Aqsa University”, Gaza strip, was notified on Thursday April 11, 2013 that he was suspended from his work in accordance with the decision issued by the Advisory Board; appointed by the executive authority in Gaza strip which is affiliated to Hamas. It was provided in the justifications of the decision that “Mehraiz” used illegitimate terms as he used the terms “Jews and “Women” instead of “Sons of Monckys and Pigs” and “Hara’r” which means in English “women of honor or Free Women”!

The suspension decision against Mehriez comes in the series of the campaign established by the authorities in Gaza Strip that targets the Islamization of the higher education. Among the recent manifestation of this campaign was the decision issued by the Minister of Education in the suspended Prime Ministry of “Ismail Hanieh”, is the separation between the two genders above the age of 9 in all the stages of Education. In the same context the Advisory Council was established, in Al-Aqsa University of 26 thousands of students and about 1000 lecture working in it. One of its earliest decisions was suspending Mehriez.

ANHRI said that the decision of suspension lacks the legitimacy as it is issued by a body that was appointed in contraindication with the principle of the Independence of the University. The decision lacks the recognized rules in the academic work which provides specific procedures regarding accusing a professor and as a result of to be suspended and investigated through specialized committees enjoy the academic capacity. These can’t be conducted without a direct administrative order. The absurdity of this decision can be noticed from the justifications related to suspending Mehraiz, which shows an intervention in the daily work details of the University professor that can’t be accepted. It is also an intransigence that can be amounted to the farce limits regarding imposing narrow ideas that involve racialism understandings, which imposing it on the educational process is a serious violation by itself and its mechanism is a serious waste to the media freedoms”.

ANHRI added that the persistent of Hamas regarding imposing its narrow understanding and visions on the citizens and foundations of Gaza is in total siege to the Palestinian people in Gaza which became a large and wide prison sealed by the Israeili occupation from outside while Hamas plays the role of the arbitrary warden, that the evidences declare that its independent of ruling this part from Palestinian only to establishing a dictator authority that waste the rights of the citizens and repress their freedoms”.

ANHRI demands the necessity to return the professor to his position immediately and demands from Hamas to lift its hand from the universities of the Strip and stop its intervention in the academic and personal freedoms of the students and the professors in all the educational stages”.

Also available in : العربية

April 6, 2013

Palestine: ANHRI Demands Brining the Elements of the Occupation Forces Involved in the Murder of Demonstrators to Justice

Cairo April 6, 2013

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), strongly denounces the murdering of two Palestinian protesters and the wounding of another by the occupation forces, during the peaceful demonstration that was organized by a group of young Palestinians at one of the check points in the north of the west-bank.

On Wednesday April 3, 2013, the occupation forces aimed heavy shooting on a group of young Palestinians who demonstrated at “Anab” military barrier in the east of the town of “Anbtah”, in the eastern of “Tulkarem” in the north of the west-bank. They have chased them in an attempt to disperse the demonstration which led to the murdering of two protesters; Amer Ibrahim Nagy Zarboul, 18 years old and Nagy Abdulsalam Nagy Blebesi, 19 years old. Both of them were shot by a live ammunition in the chest. The Israeli chasing to the protesters by the live ammunition led to the injury of three other protesters who included Fady Abdulqader Ibrahim Nasar, 20 years old, as he was injured by live ammunition in his right hand.

ANHRI said “Israel still challenge the international society by violating the basic human rights and the fundamental freedoms. The repeated assaults on the peaceful Palestinian demonstrators by aiming live ammunition despite the Minister of Interior’s statement of not using it against the demonstrators”.

ANHRI added “an immediate and urgent action must be taken regard such repeated assaults committed by the Israeli occupation and its repeated attack on the right to freedom of expression”.

ANHRI demonstrated that the obligations incumbent upon the states that have ratified the Fourth Geneva Convention include the necessity to fulfill their obligations under Article no. I of the Convention relative to the respect of the Convention and to ensure its respect in all circumstances, as well as the obligations provided in Article no. 146 of the Convention to prosecute the accused of committing grave breaches of the Convention, noting that such breaches are war crimes according to Article no. 147 of the fourth Geneva Convention on protecting the civilians and according to the first Additional Protocol to the Convention to ensure the protection for the Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories.

ANHRI Demands a fact-finding committee to detect the elements of the Occupation Forces involved and bring them before the criminal court.

Also available in : العربية

April 3, 2013

Palestine: Misarah Abu-Hamdiah, the Palestine Prisoner Dies in the Israeli Prisons

Cairo April 3, 2013

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), holds the criminal responsibility on Israel regarding the death the Palestinian prisoner “Misarah” in his detention in one of the Israeli prisons, although the deterioration of his health on the background of injuries of cancer and the Israeli authorities refused releasing him or providing medical care for him.

On Yesterday April 2, 2013, the Palestinian prisoner “Misarah” died in the hospital of “Sorokwa”, when the authorities answered the international calls regarding the necessity to release him after being sick with cancer. He went to the hospital very late; at the time when his condition became very serious and can’t be cured; that what Israel meant. But more than that and in a scene that expresses the brute sadism when they leg and hand-cuffed him which led which resulted in a state of agitation, rebellion and on hunger strike in the Israeli prisons as all the prisoners have participated in which were fueled by the authorities of raising the maximum alert and the huge deploying the security forces.

His death led to several clashes between the Palestinian demonstrators and the Israel occupation in Bab El-Zawaia in the middle of Hebron city. After the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) called for comprehensive and general strike in the city on the yesterday morning. Several Palestinian youth took to the streets in the protesters to “Ben Roushed” house to answer the call of the Palestinian prisoners club.

It is worthy to be mentioned, the martyrs of the Palestinian prisoners inside the Israeli prisoners who reached 204 martyrs, but regarding the rest many of them suffer from dangerous risk. Likely, some of them will die in the short range, as among them 12 prisoners who are sick with cancer in addition to Kidney failure, pressure and diabetic that the authorities leave them without providing medical care to them until the sickness went deep into their body and it is hard to be cured.

ANHRI said that “the Israeli authorities acts is a serious violation to the basic human rights through harassing the opposition and peaceful demonstrators; sending them to prison until they became very sick in addition to not guaranteeing their right to access to medical care during the period of their arrest”.

ANHRI demands from the international society to conduct an immediate investigation in the events of the death the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli prisons and the Israeli intransigence regarding obtaining their right in medical care. ANHRI holds demands from Israel to bear the criminal responsibility and force them to present the involved persons in the event, to punish them and compensate their families.

Also available in : العربية

March 17, 2013

Palestine: the Israeli Authorities Must Release the Twenty and Six Palestinians who were Detained from the West Bank

Cairo March 17, 2013

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), strongly denounces the arbitrary arrest campaign established by the Israeli authorities against the Palestinian citizens in the West Bank on the background of the Israeli troops address the Palestinian protests that took place on Friday March 8, 2013 to denounces the Israeli troops assault on women who were learning the holy Quran in one of Al-Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards.

On Thursday March 14, 2013, the Israeli occupation troops established a wide arrest campaign in several West Bank Governorates, where the troops invaded several houses of citizens and assaulted them by kicking, beating and verbal abuse in addition to arrest their relatives. As the Israeli occupation forces invaded thier houses in “Beit Fajar” in the Governorate of Bethlehem and Jenin Governorate. They have also arrested two of the citizens in the Eqabah and Berqeen town during their presence in the territories of 84.

In Hebron, Israeli forces arrested four citizens, including a woman, and continued the arbitrary arrest campaign in Silwan, in the south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, where occupation forces invaded a house of young Yazen Siam, has searched and smashing furniture in addition to confiscated his clothes, and invaded Al-Bustan neighborhood, and assaulted the residents.

The campaign of arrests extended to the industrial zone in the village of Beit Iba, in the west of Nablus, as of staff of the industrial zone was arrested and the raids continued by the Israeli as they have invaded the Near East Company for Industry and Commerce and searched the staff in order to make sure of their identities and arrested one of its staff in addition to the group of citizens who were detained in the city of Nablus, therefore the total of detainees of that day; 26 detainees.

ANHRI said that “while the international community turns its face away, the occupation forces persistent to violate all the international treaties and conventions that aim to protect human rights. The occupation forces persist in repressing the daily unarmed Palestinian people, violating all rights, especially the right to peaceful protest. The occupation forces don’t only disperse the demonstrations by excessive force that claimed the lives of many of the demonstrators in the past events, but hunting who participate in these demonstrations and arrest many of them to join the thousands of prisoners in its jails under inhumane conditions that violate all the rules of the treatment of prisoners and detainees”.

ANHRI demanded from the international community to stop its complicit silence regarding the crimes of the occupation forces on the Palestinian occupied territories and to press Israel to protect the rights of the Palestinian people to peaceful protest and stop the illegal campaigns against its participants.

March 12, 2013

Palestine: ANHRI Denounces Assaulting the Occupation Troops to a “wedding party of a resistant” and arrests of tens

Cairo March 12, 2013

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), strongly denounces the occupation troops assault “a wedding part of a resistant” on the background of the protest of the participants on the law of “the nationality and entry to Israel”. ANHRI also denounces the assault of the tens of Israeli settlers to tens of Palestinians in “Wadi Abu-El-Riesh and El-Galzon”. ANHRI also denounces the arrest of 11 Palestinians in three camps by the occupation forces in addition to the arrest of a young man from Jenin by the Israel Security Agency and refused to provide details regarding his arrest.

The occupation forces, on Saturday March 9, 2013, assaulted what they have called organizing a wedding party for the resistance by tear gas bombs and Stun grenades to disperes the participants who took to the streets to protest against the nationality law and entry to Israel, Such law was made by the Israeli authorities, as the virtual bride was arrested and the bridgroom was suffocated and went to the hospital.

Tens of Israeli settlers, in the same day, assaulted several Palestinians and their lands in addition to throwing stones on them in the areas of “ Wadi Abu-El-Riesh and El-Galzon” in the north of Ramallah.

In a persistence to the above-mentioned, the authorities on Sunday 11, 2013, have arrested six youths from the camp pf “Aiday” in the north of Bethlehem. The authorities have arrested five from the old munipality in the occupation of the occupied Jersulm. The Israel Security Agency have arrested a young guy from Jenin in cooperation with the police authority after the pressing false charges on them “doing dangerous acts to security” without disclosuing what are these acts or how dangerous are they.

ANHRI said that “the persistence of the Israeli state in repressing the Palestinians and repress their right to expression are a serious violation the basic human rights which were provided by all the international charters and norms”.
ANHRI added “Israel must respect the human rights and his basic freedoms in addition to guarantee such rights and freedoms to the Palestinians as Israel is the occupation forces and who have the power on the ground; that the management of their affairs”.

ANHRI demands from the Israeli occupation forces to immediately and unconditioned release of the arrested bride in addition to the elevens guys who were arrested. ANHRI also demands from the Israel Security Agency to discolor the reasons behind the arrest of the guy in Jenine and immediately release him”.

ANHRI calls the international and regional organizations in addition to the friendly states of Israel to press it in order to respect the human rights and the human basic freedoms in addition to stop harassing the disarmed Palestinians and to stop pressing false charges on them.

March 11, 2013

Violations of media freedoms in Israel, Palestine in February 2013

(MADA/IFEX) – In the month of February 2013, a serious escalation of violations by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) against journalists in the occupied Palestine was witnessed, embodied by the detention of a cartoonist, and the targeting of journalists with rubber bullets and tear gas.

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has monitored the violations that took place in February, specifically during the journalists’ coverage of the public solidarity with Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike for several months.

MADA reported only three violations committed by Palestinians in February, one occurred in the West Bank and two in Gaza. While MADA welcomes the obvious decline in Palestinian violations against media freedoms since the start of 2013, it calls on the related authorities to stop their violations against journalists, to allow them to operate freely and to re-print and distribute banned newspapers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

MADA condemns all violations against journalists, and expresses its concern over the escalation of violations by the IOF and the dangers they pose with regards to the safety of journalists. MADA also calls upon the international community to intervene immediately and pressure the Israelis to halt violations against journalists, and to release the journalist Amer Abu Arafa and cartoonist Mohammed Saba’na.

Israeli Violations

A number of journalists were injured over the past month by rubber bullets while covering various events in the West Bank. On 11 February 2013, Pal Media cameraman Amer Abdeen was wounded in his left leg while covering the demolition of a house in Beit Awwa village in Hebron, where clashes erupted between Israeli forces and the people of Beit Awwa after the demolition.

A photographer of Raya Media Network, Samer Nazal, was hit with two rubber bullets, the first hit his gas mask and broke the glass, and the second hit the lower part of his leg. A photo journalist named Shadi Hatem was also wounded by a rubber bullet in his back which caused him bruises. Both incidents occurred during their coverage of the clashes that erupted near Israel’s Ofer prison situated close to the city of Ramallah, on 15 February.

In Hebron, Aljazeera English TV cameraman Joseph Handal was shot from a close distance with a rubber bullet, wounding his right knee, while he was covering clashes that erupted between the IOF and Palestinians in the “Martyrs’ Square” on 22 February.

The Director of Photography at Pal Media Fadi Madi was hit in his lower abdomen by a tear gas canister while he was covering the Ofer prison clashes on 21 February.

On 16 February 2013, the IOF detained 34-year-old Palestinian cartoonist Mohammed Fayeq Saba’na, while on his way back from Jordan via the Karamah crossing. Saba’na has been banned from receiving any visits by a lawyer or his family since his arrest. The IOF also extended the administrative detention of Shehab Agency reporter Amer Abu Arafa for the fourth time in a row since his arrest on 21 August 2011; he should have been released when his detention was scheduled to end on 19 February 2013. In addition, the Pal Media cameraman Abed Alghani Al-Natsha was detained for about 36 hours during his coverage of the peaceful demonstrations in Kana’an Village in Hebron on Saturday 9 February.

On 2 February, the IOF attacked a group of journalists and prevented them from covering the evacuation of Al-Nawateer Village, close to Burin village near the city of Nablus.

Israeli forces also targeted a group of journalists who were covering the peaceful demonstrations in Kna’an Village in Hebron on 9 February. They attacked, detained, and arrested the journalists on site The forces also attacked another group of journalists in Hebron on 22 February.

The IOF prevented three journalists, Alquds TV correspondent Mamdouh Hamamra, Pal Media cameraman Samer Hamad, and Alquds Dot Com Cameraman Abdulrahman Younis, from covering the raid on AlDoha town near Bethlehem on 19 February.

On 23 February, members of the Israeli Border Guards assaulted the European agency photographer A’la Badarnah and the French agency photographer Ja’far Ishtayah, during their coverage of Israeli settlers’ attack on the people of Kosra in Nablus.

Palestinian Violations

In the West Bank on the morning of 1 February 2013, a group of young people confiscated all copies of Bent Al-Balad Magazine in the city of Beit Sahur, disagreeing with an article critical of the Orthodox Scouts of Beit Sahur.

The Hamas Public Prosecutor summoned the vice chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Tahseen Al- Astal for investigation on 28 February, based on a complaint filed by the Public Investigation Services on charges of “defamation” in an article entitled “Police Against the Law”. And on 27 February in the city of Rafah, the police prevented the Pal Today TV crew from filming, detaining them for about 30 minutes in the city.

March 9, 2013

Palestine: ANHRI Demands the Release of the Three Students who were Arrested by the Occupation Forces

Cairo March 9, 2013

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), strongly denounces the arrest of three students by the occupation forces during the protest demonstration that began from the Hebrew university in solidarity with the Palestinians prisoners who are in hunger strike in the Israeli prisons.

On Thursday March 7, 2013, the occupation forces arrested three Arab students who participated in the demonstration that began from the Hebrew university in Solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners who are on hunger strike and to protest against the Occupation forces harassing to the Arab students which included subpoena of investigation and threatens of arrest, which actually happens in several times.

Some students directed to the residents of the students after the end of the demonstration as they were attacked by the police forces and two were arrested; Magd Hamdan and Ali Gassar. They were taken to the Saladin police station then another protest erupted to protest against the arrest of the students as the police arrested the student “Tarek El-Khatib”.

ANHRI said that “assaulting the peaceful demonstrations is a serious violation to the freedom of expression and a serious violation to the basic human rights which were always violated by the Israeli occupation”.

ANHRI added that “Israel must protect the rights of the Palestinians to peaceful expression as guaranteed by the citizens. Israel must halt harassing the activists and the participants in the demonstrations”.

ANHRI calls on the major friendly countries of Israel to make it stop the repeated violations to the rights of the Palestinians and harassing the activists in addition to the release of the Palestinians prisoners in the Israeli prisons.

March 7, 2013

Palestine: ANHRI Denounces Assaulting Women in Al-Aqsa Mosque and another Invasion to the Dome of the Rock

Cairo March 7, 2013

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), denounces assaulting a group of women by an Israeli police officer. The women were learning the holy Quran in one of the courtyards the mosque in addition to his attempt to invade the dome of the rock.

One of the police officers assaulted a group of women who were learning the holy Quran in one of the courtyards of the Mosque on Sunday March 3, 2013. As he kicked the holy Quran by his legs and dropped it on the land, when they moved to another place, he chased and assaulted them again, from the gate of Mugrabi Gate; used by Israel to enter the settlers and the tourists.

In a related context, “Moshe Feiglin” the leader in Likud party, on March 4, 2013, invaded the Dome of the Rock Mosque but the guards of the Mosque intervened to ban him from doing that.

ANHRI said that “the assault on women, while they are in the Mosque, by the Israeli police officers, is a serious violation to the freedom of religious rituals which were guaranteed by all the international charters and norms”.

ANHRI added that “the lack of importance to the sacred places by the Israeli officers and the persistence violations to such places by the leaders, in particularly after the attempt of the leader in Likud party to invade the dome of the rock Mosque, hold Israel responsible for any riots that could be broke out due to such provocative actions”.

ANHRI draws the attention to the deliberate and clear violation by Israel to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 18, where it provides the right of every person to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right include the right to freedom of expressing of them by education, practice, religious rituals and observance in doing them either secretly or in a group with others.

ANHRI demands an immediate investigation in the events and account the involved police person in the assault on the women and the leader who tried to invade the dome of the rock Mosque in addition to form a committee from UN representatives and from the relevant international and regional organizations to identify the violations to the sacred places by Israel.

March 7, 2013

Palestine: ANHRI Denounces Assaulting Women in Al-Aqsa Mosque and another Invasion to the Dome of the Rock

Cairo March 7, 2013

In a related context, “Moshe Feiglin” the leader in Likud party, on March 4, 2013, invaded the Dome of the Rock Mosque but the guards of the Mosque intervened to ban him from doing that.

March 7, 2013

Palestine: ANHRI Denounces Assaulting Women in Al-Aqsa Mosque and another Invasion to the Dome of the Rock

Cairo March 7, 2013

In a related context, “Moshe Feiglin” the leader in Likud party, on March 4, 2013, invaded the Dome of the Rock Mosque but the guards of the Mosque intervened to ban him from doing that.