21 August 1997

On 20 August, Bethlehem resident Suleiman Saleh Musa, 39 years old with 10 children, was beaten and hospitalized by Bethlehem local police.

Mr. Musa had parked his car in an unauthorized parking place near the center of Bethlehem on al Saf street. The police arrived and put a wheel lock on the car. Mr. Musa returned while the police were still there, and paid the fine for the ticket. The police then demanded Mr. Musa’s ID, whereupon an argument broke out. The police on the scene began beating Mr. Musa, then brought him into the central police station in Bethlehem, where he was savagely beaten by six police officers, including a commissioned officer.

He was admitted to the hospital later in the day with a head laceration which required three stitches, a broken nose, and bite marks on his left shoulder.

Tensions in Bethlehem rose as Mr. Musa’s family attacked the police station. In the resulting scuffle someone from Mr. Musa’s family also broke the glass on two police cars.

An investigation has already been launched into this incident, and the six police officers have been arrested.

Tensions in general in Bethlehem are extraordinarily high, as the town reels under the 21st day of total siege. Residents are unable to leave the immediate confines of Bethlehem, a very small town, and the vast majority are currently unable to go to work or to access their agricultural fields. Incidents like these can be seen in the context of an already intolerable and very tense situation.

LAW calls for the results of the inquiry into the conduct of the police to be made public, and for better oversight over and training for Palestine’s police force.

LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organization, dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAW is also an affiliate member of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.