Ramallah--Three years after the signing of the Declaration of Principles, the records of the Birzeit University Human Rights Action Project (HRAP) show no improvement in the overall human rights situation and raise serious concerns about the emergent t rends for the coming period. Violations of human rights continue to include arbitrary detention and interrogation of students and staff, interference with the ability of students and staff–especially those from Gaza–to reach the university, and periodic closures of educational institutions that are incongruous with moves toward a lasting peace.
DETENTIONS AND TORTURE. As of today Israeli authorities hold 56 students, including 2 women, in prison. Of these 10 are serving terms of administrative detention (without charge or trial) of between 3 and 13 months, while many of the others a re detained on charges such as membership in 'illegal' organizations. The releases of political prisoners agreed upon almost one year ago in Washington have effected only six students. The failure to release any of Birzeit’s women prisoners directly vio lates the agreement.
In 1994, 1995, and 1996, HRAP documented record numbers of arbitrary detentions by Israeli authorities, numbers matching or higher than those recorded before the initiation of the political process. On 28 March 1996 in an exceptional show of force, Israeli military forces detained more students in one day than would ordinarily be detained in a full year–only to release 95 percent by sundown. An average of five students continue to be detained each month. Furthermore, almost 80 percent of the stude nts detained in the past 12 months have never been charged or tried.
In the past 6 months alone, the university has asked for the intervention of the Israeli High Court of Justice on six occasions to stop the use of violence against students in interrogation. In the past year, Israel has taken significant steps toward the legalization of torture in the interrogation of Palestinian detainees.
ACCESS TO THE UNIVERSITY. The past three years have shown a measurable decline in facility of access to the university by students and staff. In the 1995-96 academic year, according to Israeli restrictions more than 350 Gaza students should ha ve been at the university for less than one-fourth of class time. The 1996-97 academic year began - for the second consecutive year - with a total ban on access for Gaza students. Israeli authorities again refused to issued permits to students in time f or the academic year, forcing the students to choose between coming 'illegally' without permits, and suspending their studies. Faculty and staff from Gaza have faced similar difficulties, with the Dean of Engineering unable to reach the university for mo st of the second semester of the 1995-96 year.
Faculty and students traveling from the southern half of the West Bank have been prevented from traveling through Jerusalem for more than two years. Following a well-established pattern of 'creating facts' Israel has forced students and employees to travel around Jerusalem, thereby almost doubling the cost and increasing the time required to reach the university by one-third.
CLOSURES. While Birzeit University has remained open since April 1992, in the second semester of the 1995-96 academic year Birzeit University lost 12 working days due to the closure of the roads to the university. At the same time, Israeli aut horties closed by military order seven educational and research insitutions, including three universities, in March of this year. Last week the Israeli military extended the closure order against these institutions. Moves to disrupt education by closing and blocking access to universities can only be seen as aggression in the context of a peace process.
Three years after Oslo, Birzeit University asserts again that any process which hopes to bring a lasting peace must be built on respect for the basic principles of human rights.
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