Press Release - November 29, 1999
On the morning of 28 November 1999 and continuing through 29 November 1999, 9 Palestinian academics in Nablus and Ramallah were detained by the Palestinian Authority in regards to a petition signed by 20 individuals, including 9 Palestinian academics, 9 members of the Palestinian Legislative council, and two previously elected mayors of Nablus and Anabta. The petition was critical of the activities and the corruption of the Palestinian Authority after the Oslo Agreements.

 

On 28 November 1999, Dr. ‘Ismat A-Shakhsheer, a professor of Chemistry at An Najah University, was asked to come to the police station in Nablus, without any indication as to why she was being summoned. She and her husband arrived at the station at 6pm, where ‘Ismat was told that she was being detained in regards to her signature on the petition. She refused to stay overnight at the prison, and was released on bail of $12,500 US, on condition that she return to the police station the next morning. As of the writing this press release, Ismat remains at the Nablus police station, and it is unsure whether or not she will be made to stay overnight.

 

Dr. Yasir Abu Saffiyeh, a physician from Nablus was also detained by the Palestinian police and Dr. Abdel Sittar Qassem, Professor of history at An Najah University, Nablus and Dr. Abdel Rahim Qittaneh, also a physician from Tulkarem, were arrested by the Palestinian General Security Services in Nablus. All three were arrested yesterday and have remained in detention since that time.

 

In Ramallah, Dr. Adel Samara, a writer and editor of Kan’an magazine, from Beit ‘Our, Ramallah, and Ahmad Qattamesh, also a writer from Ramallah, who spent 6 and a half consecutive years in administrative detention in Israeli prisons, were detained by the Palestinian police yesterday. At 3:30 p.m. today, they were both transferred to the Jericho prison and are awaiting the arrival from Gaza of General Prosecutor of the State Security courts, Khalid Al Qidreh

On 29 November, the three remaining academics who signed the petition, Dr. Adnan Odeh, researcher for the Union of Parliamentary Researchers from Nablus, Dr. Afif Suleiman, a physician from Nablus, and Ahmad Shaker Dudin, a school teacher from Hebron were arrested by the Palestinian police. In addition to these detentions, two of the signatories were placed under house arrest, including Bassam Ashaq’a, former mayor of Nablus, and Wahid Al Hamdallah, former mayor of Anabta.

 

The majority of the detainees were not issued arrest warrants, are being held without charge or trial, and are currently being denied legal counsel. However, the director of Addameer, while trying to visit both Ahmad Qattamesh and Dr. Adel Samara with two lawyers from the center, was able to sit with the two informally for approximately two hours. It was learnt that the two were asked to appear at the police station and remain under detention by the direct orders of General Ghazi Jabali, head of the Palestinian Police. Furthermore, Addameer has recently learned that there is a strong possibility that the two will be tried this evening in the state security court, whose trials normally take place in the middle of the night.

 

The foundation of a democratic society based on the rule of law is dependent upon individual freedoms, and the right to voice one’s beliefs. Arbitrary arrest, and in particular the use of the state Security courts for cases such as this, threatens the development of a democratic society, and creates a climate of fear within the community. Addameer calls for the immediate release of the detainees and asks the international community to voice their concern to the following:

 

President Yasser Arafat
Palestinian Authority
Al-Muntada
Gaza, Palestinian Authority
Faxes: +972-7-822365