Yaser Ghazi Alawneh, Palestine
Palestinian human rights defenders suffer many violations and work under unique conditions, due to the following: - Several human rights defenders are confronted by many violations and obstacles from the Israeli side prior to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Gaza and the West Bank in 1994. - Many PHR defenders suffer attacks and violations from both Palestinian and Israeli sides.
In this paper, I will briefly examine some of the violations suffered by Palestinian human rights defenders working in defense of freedom and dignity. I will also describe some of my personal experience in this regard, since I was one of those who faced such violations.
Violations suffered at the hands of the Israelis: Many defenders have suffered unjust detentions and arrests at the hands of Israeli military, for example, Daoud Dir'awi (lawyer and researcher at The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens’ Rights), Ahmed Abu Haniyeh (researcher at the Center of Substitute Information) and Ziad Ihmeidan (researcher at ALHAQ institution in Ramallah), as well as Sohail Khalaf (journalist). Many defenders have been refused permission to travel by the Israeli military forces, and many of them have been unable to participate in regional and international conferences or training courses, such as Khalida Jarrar (director of ADDAMEER; an institution which defends prisoners’ rights, based in Ramallah), Zahi Jaradat (researcher at ALHAQ), Amin Abu Wardeh (journalist), Omar Rahhal (director of the Center of Human Rights and Democratic Participation), and Basher Darahmah (journalist). Many Palestinian human rights defenders have suffered beatings at the Israeli military checkpoints and at the West Bank checkpoints. Palestinian human rights defenders have been barred from entering Israel under the false pretext of security
Violations suffered at the hands of the Palestinian National Authority The Oslo Accords between the PLO and Israel signed on 13 September 93 had a negative affect on the Palestinian human rights defenders, in particular, and the Palestinian individual, in general. The Palestinian Authority came under increasing pressure from Israel and the international community to restore law and order. As a result, many violations were committed, for instance The PA view human rights defenders as opponents and many have been jailed without legal court procedures because of their political opinions. The official organs of the PA deny access to information black out information and do not allow the acquisition of information. The PA criminalizes human rights defenders. On one occasion, the authorities placed narcotics in the car of Dr. Lyad As-Sarraj, the former general commissioner of the The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens’ Rights The PA prevent human rights defenders from carrying out their work, for example, visiting its prisons. For the last 10 years, military intelligence has refused human rights organisations access to its detention centres.
I began defending human rights as a university student in 1996. My official work started with the commission in the year 2000. I have suffered three different kinds of violation and abuse.
Firstly: the Israeli Side Through my activities with the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen’s Rights, since 2002, I have suffered more than 40 violations by the Israeli military at Israeli checkpoints. On 14 January 2002, while I was at our Ramallah office, I received a telephone call from my family telling me about the unexpected death of my father. Immediately I traveled to Nablus, where my family live. On arrival at Hiwwara (south of Nablus) checkpoint, Israeli soldiers confiscated my personal and work identification, searched me, and detained me for two hours. Finally, despite telling them about my father's death, an officer in charge ordered me to return or threatened to arrest me. Accordingly, I was forced to walk through hilly roads for more than 90 minutes in order to see my deceased father for the last time. On 13 October 2003, I was deprived from traveling abroad for 18 months. At that time, was traveling to Spain via Jordan to participate and attend an international conference on human rights. But I was informed by Israeli intelligence personnel that I was not allowed traveling for security reasons. Accordingly, I authorized a lawyer to challenge the decision. On 18 May 2004, the order was revoked. On several occasions, I suffered beatings and arrests at the hands of Israeli soldiers at the Israeli military checkpoints. On 16 February 2003, Israeli soldiers used me as a human shield during their operation in Nablus to arrest Tayseer Khalid (65 years old), a PLO Executive Committee member. The army raided my office and I was beaten up by the commander of the operation. Israeli army refused to give me permission to participate in a symposium on globalization and Democracy held in Occupied Jerusalem, or permission to pass through Israeli checkpoints.
Secondly: the Palestinian Authority: I was refused permission visit some Palestinians detained at the authority's prisons due to my protest against conditions of prisoners and their treatment.
Thirdly: Citizens and their behavior Despite our work defending citizens and their complaints, they themselves accuse us of inefficiency. For instance, on 25 September 2005, a man entered in my office, carrying two pistols and petition paper, and shouting for us to help release his jailed brother, or he would take the law in his own hands to release his brother and free him from prison.
I hope this paper has exposed some of the injustices suffered by Palestinian human rights defenders in the region. We are in urgent need of an active and strong international movement devoted to defending and protecting human rights defenders in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and elsewhere.