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Al-Haq calls for the immediate release of Mr. Daoud Darawi, lawyer and human rights activist,
arrested yesterday at King Hussein/Allenby Bridge as he crossed into the West Bank from
Jordan. Mr. Darawi (28) is a highly respected human rights lawyer who works for the
Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen Rights (PICCR). Mr. Darawi also worked
with al-Haq between 1998 and 2000 bring cases before the Palestinian courts and working to
ensure that international human rights standards were respected by both the PNA and Israel.
At the time of his arrest Mr. Darawi was returning home from a five-day vacation with his wife
and daughter in Aqaba, Jordan. His wife related the following account of his arrest to
al-Haq.
Mr. Darawi and his family arrived at Allenby Bridge in the early afternoon. The visa offices at
Allenby Bridge are divided into two sections, one for Israeli citizens and foreigners, and one for
Palestinian ID holders. Mr. Darawi holds a Palestinian ID, while his wife and daughter hold
Israeli IDs. After thirty minutes Mrs. Darawi had cleared security in the Israeli/foreigner visa
section and began to wait for her husband one the Israeli side of the border. At 3:30 pm she
witnessed Daoud being led out of the Palestinian visa section by an Israeli soldier. He was
instructed not to speak to her. Nevertheless, he was able to tell her not to worry and that they
were merely going to get his luggage from a waiting area where it had been stored in order to
search it. At 5:50 pm she again witnessed Daoud being led out of the crossing area by a
security guard and a member of the Israeli Intelligence Services (Shabak). She immediately
demanded to speak to Daoud and to know where he was being taken. An Israeli security
officer answered that he had been arrested and was being taken to the Magdal Interrogation
Center in Ashkelon. She was then instructed to go home, as the bridge closes at 6:00 pm. She
refused to leave, and continued to demand to see her husband until he was taken away. At
6:30 pm an officer of the Shabak took her in a security service car to a bypass road located
near the border crossing. She was deposited by the side of the road and told to find a ride
home. This morning Daouds wife received a call from the Shabak confirming that Daoud is
being held in Ashkelon Interrogation Center. She then contacted al-Haq to requested
assistance with this case.
Mr. Darawi is not politically active and has never previously been arrested. At this time the
information received by al-Haq leads us to believe that Mr. Darawis arrest was motivated by
the fact that he is a human rights lawyer. The arrest of Mr. Darawi seems to be aimed at
creating an atmosphere in which Palestinian human rights organizations are reticent to work.
This is not the first time that a Palestinian human rights activist has been arrested and harassed.
Both Mr. Adnan al-Hajjar, a Human Rights Lawyer for al-Mezan Center in Gaza, and Abed
Rahman al-Ahmar, a fieldworker for the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group in
Jerusalem were arrested and detained without charge during the current intifada only to be
released after an extended period of detention. These actions are also reminiscent of Israeli
actions during the first Intifada when human rights activists were detained without charge,
sometimes for several years.
Additionally, al-Haq has received an increased number of complaints and affidavits detailing
Israeli prison and security officials recent use of torture against detainees. These reports leave
al-Haq concerned for the safety of Mr. Darawi and political prisoners being held in Israeli
prisons.
Al-Haq therefore calls for the international community, international human rights organizations,
and concerned individuals to take action by calling for the immediate release of Mr.Darawi.
Al-Haq request that the international community demand that Israel respect the rights of human
rights activists. We also ask that the International Community place pressure upon Israel in
order to ensure that international humanitarian law and human rights standards are enforced in
the Occupied Territories. Finally, al-Haq requests the support of all concerned individuals, and
asks that they send letters demanding the release of Mr. Darawi to one or more of the following
addresses:
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Office of the Prime Minister
3 Kaplan Street, PO Box 187
Kiryat Ben Gurion
Jerusalem 91919
Telegrams: Prime Minister, Jerusalem
Fax: +972 2 651 2631
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
Minister of Defense
Ministry of Defense
Kaplan Street
Hakirya
Tel Aviv 67659
Fax: +972 3 691 6940 and 972-3-697-6990
Salutation: Dear Minister
e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il
Lieutenant-General Shaul Mofaz
Chief of General Staff
C/o Ministry of Defense
7 Kaplan Street
Hakirya
Tel Aviv
Fax: +972 3 691 6940
Uzi Landau
Minister of Public Security
Ministry of Public Security (Police)
Kiryat Hamemshala
PO Box 18182
Jerusalem 91181
Fax: + 972 2 584 7872
Meir Shetrit
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
29 Salah al-Din Street
Jerusalem 91010
Fax: + 972 2 628 8618
Eli Yishai
Minister of the Interior
Ministry of Interior
2 Kaplan Street
PO Box 6158
Kiryat Ben Gurion
Jerusalem 91061
Fax: + 972 2 670 1628
Elyakim Rubinstein
Attorney-General
Ministry of Justice
29 Salah al-Din Street
Jerusalem 91010
Fax: + 972 2 628 5438
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