Accueil > Sociétés Civiles à Parlement Européen > PCHR Condemns the Use of Force to Disperse a Peaceful Assembly in Nablus (...)

Communiqué du PCHR, dont nous serons désormais un des relais quotidiens (ndlr)

PCHR Condemns the Use of Force to Disperse a Peaceful Assembly in Nablus and the Attack on PLC Member Muna Mansour

Jeudi, 16 juin 2011 - 7h58 AM

jeudi 16 juin 2011

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

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the use of force by the Palestinian police to disperse a sit-in organized by families of Palestinians detained by Palestinian security service in the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Monday. PCHR further condemns the attack on a Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Muna Mansour, and her daughter journalist, Ibtihal Mansour.

PCHR calls upon the government in Ramallah to respect the right peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of opinion and expression which are ensured under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments, and to put an end to political arrests.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and the testimonies of eyewitnesses, at approximately 11:30 on Monday, 13 June 2011, the Palestinian police, including female officers, dispersed a sit-in organized by families of Palestinians detained by Palestinian security services. A number of PLC Members from the Change and Reform Bloc affiliated with Hamas participated in the sit-in, which was organized at al-Shuhada Square in the center of Nablus. The police claimed that the organizers did not obtain prior permission for the sit-in. Police officers also confiscated the mobile phone of Ibtihal Jamal Mansour, who works for Middle East Monitoring Center, and serves as media coordinator for the office of PLC Members from the Change and Reform Bloc. Members of the PLC intervened to prevent police officers from confiscating Mansour’s camera. During the dispersion of the sit-in, PLC Member, Muna Mansour, and her daughter, journalist Ibtihal Mansour, were mis-treated. Female police officers pushed PLC Member Mansour, even though they knew her identity.

It is worth noting that Palestinian security services in Nablus have arrested 5 Palestinians, and have summoned another 12 since the signing of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement in May 2011.

In light of the above :}

1. PCHR emphasizes that the right to peaceful assembly is ensured under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments.

2. PCHR calls upon the Palestinian government and security services to take necessary steps to allow journalists to work freely, as is required by the right to freedom of opinion and expression, which is ensured under the Palestinian Basic Law and international human rights instruments.

3. PCHR calls upon the government in Ramallah to put an end to political arrests, and calls upon security services to respect international human rights standards, the Palestinian Basic Law and other relevant laws.

Public Document