PALESTINIAN SECURITY SERVICES CONTINUE TO ARREST BIRZEIT U STUDENTS
LAW
STUDENTS AND DENY LAW'S LAWYER ACCESS TO VISIT THEM
28 FEBRUARY 2000
The Palestinian Security Services (PSS) are still maintaining illegal
and arbitrary arrest campaigns against a number of Birzeit students
who participated in stone throwing at the French Prime Minister,
Lionel Jospin, and his car while he visited the university campus on
26 February 2000. Jospin had earlier blasted the Hizbullah resistance
group as terrorists. His statements had triggered criticism in the
Arab world. Further arrests took place yesterday after a demonstration
took place in Ramallah in protest of the Birzeit university students.
Students were arrested from their homes, buses, the main entrances of
the university campus and from Ramallah.
According to LAW, the arrests have amounted 39 students until the
evening of Sunday, 27 February, whereas official security figures of
the Preventative Security Apparatus (PSA) and the General Intelligence
Apparatus (GIA) amounted to 30 arrests. LAW has compiled the following
list of arrested students:
1. Lo'ai Bayatna, 20, a resident of the village of Abu Qash
2. Firas Arrar, 29, a resident of the village of Bani Zeid
3. Tareq Arrar, 22, a resident of the village of Bani Zeid
4. Issam Arrar, 21, a resident of the village of Bani Zeid
5. Iyad Ariyahi, 26, from Al Jalazone Refugee Camp
6. I'tiraf Arimawi, 22, from Beit Rima
7. Rami Fadayel, 22, from Beit Rima
8. Asid Ashanti, 23, from Qalqilya
9. Nassar Abu Karsh, 24, from Doura
10. Jubran Azar, 21, from Ramallah
11. Shadi Al Ka'bi, 20, from Ramallah
12. Khader Adnan
13. Ibrahim Asabe'
14. Dia' Awad
15. Fares Arouri, 18, from Ramallah (released yesterday evening)
16. Mohannad Abu Ghosh, 21, resident of Al Bireh
17. Hazem Sha'lan,
20, a student at the Qalandia vocational school and a resident of
Birzeit
18. Wasta Tannous, 20, a student of the Evangelical high
school in Ramallah
19. Fahd Abu Zuluf, 15, a student of the
Evangelical high school in Ramallah
20. Iyad Mir'eb 21. Issam Hamarneh
22. Issam Anatsheh from Jerusalem
23. Hani Al Barghouti from Beit Rima
24. Rami Al Barghouti from Beit Rima
25. Rami Aslamin from Asamou'
26. Mahmoud Shreoteh from Yatta
27. Amer Birqawi from Burqa
28. Mu'ath
Samara from Ramallah
29. Naji Sider from Hebron
30. Mahdi Kharoub from
Halhoul
31. A'la' Jaradat from Jenin
32. Sa'ed Asirsawi
33. Mu'ayad
Arrar from Beni Zeid
34. Mohammad Abu Libdeh
35. Jamil Al Barghouti(released)
36. Firas Al Barghouti
37. Nassar Abu Ghosh
38. Israr
Ya'coub Hilaneh from Ein Arik
39. Sameh Asader from Nablus
According to LAW's field researcher who followed up the situation in
Ramallah, 4 students were later arrested by security services who had
been watching the students from a car with a government license plate.
Another student against whom a kidnap attempt by the PSS had failed,
said in an affidavit to LAW that the demonstration called by the
Birzeit students had started from Ramallah and proceeded to the
authority's headquarters where the students were met by a high ranking
military personnel. The students explained that they were very angry
at the arrest campaigns conducted against the Birzeit students and
handed in a petition of protest and returned to the center of
Ramallah. As soon as the demonstration dispersed, a number of the
demonstrators were chased by the security services. One student
identified as Mohannad Abu Ghosh, a Birzeit student and resident of Al
Bireh was kidnapped and pushed into a white car, believed to be used
by the presidential security. LAW's field researcher noted some red
marks on the neck of the student who gave the affidavit.
While representatives of the various political factions at Birzeit
University have denounced the attack on the French Prime Minister,
they also condemned statements made by Palestinian security officials
who have described the events as orchestrated attempts that could have
led to manslaughter. The students expressed astonishment at these
exaggerated statements, which were exploited as a pretext for the
detentions.
Relatives of the arrested students have complained that their sons
were arrested without proof that they had participated in the stone
throwing. They added that the arrests took place arbitrarily and
without arrest warrants. Other relatives complained that their sons
were only holding slogans condemning Jospin's statements and had not
participated in the violent acts.
It is feared that the arrests were carried out for reasons of
opposition with the mainstream and/or and upon political affiliation,
especially as some of the students have expressed direct commendation
of the use of violence. On the other hand, it was pointed out that
some of the detained university students are students of the
university but were not on campus on the date of the French Prime
Minister's visit.
LAW's lawyers have tried to visit the detained students in Jericho but
officials at the PSA and the GIA have denied them access without any
legal justification.
LAW condemns all acts of violence and considers the unfortunate events
at the campus as a contravention to the spirit of Palestinian
tradition and a contradiction to the international university norms
and standards. LAW wishes to reiterate its position on the
intervention of the security services in academic and student affairs,
which was reflected in the arbitrary and illegal arrests.
LAW affirms that some of the students were not involved in the acts of
violence.
LAW also expresses concern over the closure of the university and the
dismissal of some students.
LAW demands the following:
1. Reopening of the campus and the restoration of normal conditions
2. Abolition of the dismissal orders
3. The formation of a fact finding mission to investigate the events
4. Prevention of pressure and intervention from outside the
university
LAW calls on the PNA to
1. Refrain from further arrests
2. Immediately release all detained students
3. Follow legal procedures of arrest
4. Allow LAW's lawyer to visit the detainees
LAW - the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
is a non-governmental organisation dedicating to advancing human rights through legal advocacy
LAW is affiliate to the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Federation
Internationale des Ligues de Droits de l'Homme (FIDH), the World Organisation Against
Torture (OMCT) and is a member of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network
LAW
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