On 25 August 2010 at approximately 12:30 pm, a meeting at the Protestant Church on Ramallah’s main street was convened by various political activists, including independents, some members of Fatah and members of civil society organisations, to discuss recent political developments concerning Palestinian negotiations with Israel. Upon arrival, the participants found the hall filled with a large number of plain-clothed men, later found to be general intelligence (GI) officers, who effectively disrupted the event. When the conference attendees left the hall to gather in front of the entrance in protest, they were surrounded by hundreds of plain-clothed GI officers who began small altercations with them.
As the event took place across from Al-Haq’s offices, some staff members went outside to document the incident. Upon seeing one of the staff members, Mr. Wesam Ahmad, equipped with a camera, plain-clothed GI officers accosted him and knocked the camera from his hand. After retrieving the camera and asking why he was being prevented from taking any pictures, Mr. Ahmed was surrounded by approximately 10 members of the GI. They grabbed him around the neck and head while holding his arms, stripping the camera from him. During the attack, another Al-Haq staff member, Ms. Nina Atallah, who tried to intervene to assist her colleague was injured and had to be taken to hospital.
It emerged, after asking policemen on the scene, that Al-Haq’s camera had been confiscated by the GI. Equipment and footage from journalists on the scene were also confiscated during the incident.
Al-Haq condemns the use of intimidation and coercion in preventing a peaceful public meeting of Palestinian political parties and civil society. We also deplore the use of violence against human rights defenders during their attempts to document the incident.
Al-Haq has repeatedly denounced violations of human rights committed by Palestinian security forces. Today’s incident is a further example of the increasing climate of violence and intimidation that is effectively transforming Palestinian society into a “police-state.” Al-Haq urges civil society and the international community to condemn such practises and to pressure the Palestinian Authority to respect the rights of freedom of expression and assembly so as to ensure a Palestinian society founded on the rule of law, and not force.
