Birzeit-- On 2 November 1997 the lawyer of the Human Rights Action Project of Birzeit University submitted a petition to the Palestinian High Court in Ramallah on behalf of three Birzeit University students who have been detained by the Palestinian Authority without charge to trial for seven consecutive weeks at the Ramallah Central Prison. The petition calls on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to declare the legal basis of the detentions or to release the students immediately.
Basic standards of law guarantee to each prisoner the right to be informed of the reason for arrest, the right to be brought before a person authorized to exercise judicial power within three or four days of arrest, and the right to meet regularly and without supervision with his or her lawyer. The detention of the three Birzeit students is marked by a lack of judicial accountability. Although the student detainees in Ramallah have received visits from family members and university officials and appear to be held in reasonable facilities, none of the three have been charged with any offense or have appeared before a judge to ascertain the period of their detention. Such a situation contradicts the healthy development of the rule of law in Palestine, a basic foundation for Palestinian democracy.
Ayman Muhammad Abu Zeid, from the town of Bitunya, is a second year science student at Birzeit University. Ayman was arrested from his home on 10 September 1997 and is being held in the General Security section of the Ramallah Central Prison. He has not been informed of the reason for his arrest, nor the length of his detention.
Jamal Sa’dat Jarboua’h, from the town of Bitunya, is a graduate student of Arabic language and is currently working on his teaching certificate at Birzeit University. Jamal was arrested from his home on 8 September 1997 and is being held in the General Security section of the Ramallah Central Prison. He has not been informed of the reason for his arrest, nor the length of his detention. Jamal’s health during his detention is a serious concern, as he suffers from severe allergies which result in debilitating headaches and ear infections which require regular injections and prescription medicine. Although Jamal has been taken to the hospital three times while in detention, his health continues to deteriorate.
Musa Muhammad Al-Khaldi, from the town of Bitunya, is a masters student in Education at Birzeit University. Musa was arrested on 8 September 1997 after complying to a request to present himself to the PNA headquarters in Ramallah. He is being held in the General Security section of the Ramallah Central Prison and has not been informed of the reason for his arrest or the length of his detention. Musa recently received a scholarship to continue his studies in Germany, which is now at risk if he is not able to complete his masters thesis.
The university is concerned about the harmful impact on the future of the academic careers of each of the three students. Requests to continue studies at the University during the students’ arbitrary detention have been denied by the Palestinian Authority.
On a positive note, Birzeit University welcomes the recent release of Hussein Muhammad Abu Hannoud, a staff member of the Birzeit University Law Center and a masters student in Law. Hussein was detained by the Palestinian Authority on 26 September 1997 for three consecutive weeks. The Human Rights Action Project of Birzeit University hopes that the remaining three students will also be released shortly.
The Human Rights Action Project and Birzeit University call for the immediate release of all Birzeit University students, and all prisoners detained without due cause. We call on the competent authorities to act without delay to secure the due process rights of detainees to know the legal basis of his/her detention. We call on the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Legislative Council, local and international human rights organizations and other concerned or responsible parties to take action without delay to ensure the rule of law in Palestine and facilitate the immediate release of these students.
Letters of concern to the relevant authorities asking to:
may be sent to:
Mr. Fayez Abu-Rahmeh
Attorney General
Palestinian Authority
Attorney General’s Building
Yarmouk, Gaza, Palestinian Authority
Fax: +972-7-824503
Dr. Hanan Ashrawi
Minister of Higher Education
Ramallah
Fax: +972-2-9954490
Please fax copies of such letters to the Human Rights Action Project at 972-2-9957656.
For additional information contact:
Human Rights Action Project
Birzeit University
P.O. Box 14
West Bank, Palestine
Tel: +972-2-9982059
hrap@admin.birzeit.edu.
[ENDS]
Human Rights Action Project homepage - http://www.birzeit.edu/hrap/