Birzeit-- On 7 January 1998, the Israeli High Court of Justice met to discuss whether torture should be permitted in the case of Fuad Qur'an, a Birzeit student who has been detained since 10 December 1997 at the Russian Compound in Jerusalem.
The 9 judges found, 5 versus 4, that torture would be permitted in the interrogation of Qur'an, which has included prolonged sleep deprivation, hooding with a dirty sack, and tying Qur'an in painful positions for long periods of time.
Today, 13 January 1998, the Israeli military court in Jerusalem again extended the order preventing the Birzeit University lawyer from seeing Qur'an.
This marks the third extension of the initial prevention order, now set to expire on 22 January 1998, which will mark 45 days without legal access for Qur'an, who was arrested on 10 December 1997, while travelling home from classes at Birzeit University.
The university lawyer, Elia Theodory, stated that, "It is incredible that any detainee could be prevented from access to legal council for such a prolonged period of time. This is illegal under all relevant international laws." Theodory was prevented from even locating Qur'an for the first four days of his detention.
"This whole series of events shows a disturbing contempt for human life and commonly accepted international norms of law," stated Albert Aghazarian, director of Public Relations at Birzeit University. "Today, in Palestine, despite 5 years of a peace process, you can still be picked up off the street, made to disappear into a prison system, tortured with the complicity of the state, and prevented even the most basic access to any legal council."
Birzeit University calls on the international community to protest the extended torture and detention of Fuad Qur'an and demand that his legal process be conducted according to international norms:
Mr. Binyamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
3 Kaplan Street,
Hakirya, Jerusalem 91007 (via Israel)
Fax: +972-2-653-5178 or +972-3-697-7839
E-mail: likud1@likud.org.il
Israeli Justice Minister
Ministry of Justice
29 Salah al-Din Street
East Jerusalem 91029 (via Israel)
Fax: +972-2-628-5438
E-Mail: ask@Israel-info.gov.il (attn.: Ministry of Justice)
Israeli Attorney General
P.O. Box 1087
Jerusalem (via Israel)
Fax: +972-2-586-9473
[ENDS]
Human Rights Action Project homepage - http://www.birzeit.edu/hrap/