Press Release

27 October 1998
Press Release Index
THE PALESTINIAN COUNCIL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS CONDEMNS THE KILLING OF WASEEM EL-TAREFI, THE POLITICAL ARRESTS AND THE INFRINGEMENT OF THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
On 25 October 1998, in Ramallah, the Palestinian Military Intelligence used live ammunition to diffuse a peaceful demonstration organized by the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah). The shooting resulted in a fatal head injury to 17-year-old Waseem Yousef El-Tarefi. The demonstrators were protesting the illegal raid conducted by the Palestinian Military Intelligence on the offices of Fatah.
Also, on 23 October 1998, the Palestinian Police Force surrounded the house of Sheik Ahmad Yaseen, spiritual leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). Police members prevented local and foreign press from interviewing Sheik Yaseen on the Wye Plantation agreement. The police arrested those who managed to interview Shiek Yaseen, and confiscated their material. This incident is a clear infringement of the right to freedom of the press, protected by Article 19 ICCPR which provides: "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print..."
PCHRO condemns the killing of Waseem El-Tarefi by the Palestinian Military Intelligence and regards this incident as an illustration of the further deterioration in human rights standards in areas under control of Palestinian Authority. In addition, the incident represents a serious violation of international human rights standards, specifically the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, adopted by General Assembly resolution 34/169 of 1979.
PCHRO further, condemns the continuous and systematic arrest-raids among members of Hamas and opposition to the latest Israeli-Palestinian agreement.
In view of this erosion of human rights standards, PCHRO calls upon the Palestinian Authority to:
  • Conduct an immediate public investigation into the killing of Waseem El-Tarefi and into the conduct of the Palestinian Police and security agents involved and to prosecute those responsible.
  • Refrain from violating the right of freedom of press, and to immediately release all persons arrested on freedom of expression grounds.
  • Return immediately all confiscated material to press.

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Al-Haq, The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights, Democracy and Workers' Rights Center, Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling, Defense of Children International, Defense of Freedoms Center, Palestinian Human Rights Information Center, Citizens' Rights Center, Prisoners' Support Center (Addamir), Jerusalem Center for Women, International Solidarity Center, Mandela Institute, Muwatin- The Palestinian Institute for the Study of Democracy, Jerusalem Legal Aid Center, Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group.