PCHR Calls for Investigating Circumstances of Dearths of Two Wanted Persons and Third One’s Injury

===========================================

PCHR Calls for Investigating Circumstances of Dearths of Two Wanted Persons and Third One’s Injury in Armed Clash with Security Service in Nussairat Refugee Camp

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) calls upon the Attorney General’s office in Gaza to open an investigation into the circumstances of deaths of two wanted persons and the injury of a third one during an armed clash with security services in Nussairat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday, 19 April 2011. PCHR emphasizes the importance of finalizing investigations into the hideous murder of the Italian solidarity activist, Vittorio Arrigoni, to reveal its circumstances and publishing the results of investigations.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 13:00 on Tuesday, 19 April 2011, many security officers, including ones in civilian clothes, surrounded a house belonging to Khalil Mohammed Abu Goula, 51, near Thu al-Nourain Mosque in Nussairat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, after security services had received information that 3 wanted persons, who were accused of abducting and killing the Italian solidarity activist, Vittorio Arrigoni, on 14 April 2011, were harbored in the house. The house consists of two floors, each of which includes two flats. Four families counting 17 individuals, including 5 children, live in the house. Security forces raided the house and arrested 3 of Abu Ghoula’s sons: Khaled, 28; ’Aamer, 23; and Jamal, 22. Soon after, sporadic armed clashes erupted between security forces and the persons hiding in the house. As a result of these clashes, Aamena Shihda Abu Ghoula, 25, was lightly wounded by a bullet to the head. Residents of the house got out of it, and security forces brought the mother of one the persons hiding in the house and of another member of the same group, Hisham al-Si’aidni, in an attempt to convince the three persons to surrenders. Security forces eventually seized control over the house.

On Wednesday morning, the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior in Gaza, Eng. Eihab al-Ghussain, stated in a press conference that the three wanted persons did not obey instructions by security forces to surrender and attempted to resist detention. They also opened fire, wounding a security officer moderately, according to al-Ghussain. He added that one of the wanted persons, ’Abdul Rahman al-Braizat, three a hand grenade near the other two persons, and as a result, one of them, Bilal al-’Omari, was seriously injured and died later, while the other one, Mahmoud al-Salfiti, was lightly injured. Al-Braizat then shot himself dead with a pistol, according to al-Ghussain’s statement.

PCHR reiterates condemnation for the hideous crime that took the life of the Italian solidarity activist, Vittorio Arrigoni, and calls upon the Attorney General to investigate the deaths of two wanted persons and the injury of a third one. PCHR further stresses the importance of finalizing investigations into the abduction and killing of Arrigini, and publishing the results of investigations.