A/HRC/28/80
2.
Wide-scale arrest campaigns against social activists and Fatah members and
supporters
52.
Many Fatah members and supporters across the Gaza Strip were reportedly
summoned or arrested by the Internal Security Agency and questioned about Fatah’s plans
to mark the anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat on 11 November 2013.
53.
Alleged members of Salafist groups were also subjected to arbitrary arrest and
detention by the Internal Security Agency. From 4 to 6 March 2014, the Agency arrested
without warrant two people suspected of organizing an attack targeting a church in the
south of Gaza. One of them was accused of being affiliated with the Islamic State group.
54.
OHCHR also documented several cases related to the arrest, reportedly without a
warrant, of persons suspected of treason. The absence of a legal warrant is one illustration
of a wider pattern of abuse by the Internal Security Agency and of violations of the rights of
persons deprived of their liberty.
3.
Torture, ill-treatment and violations of due process
55.
Many detainees held in detention by the Internal Security Agency were allegedly
subjected to torture and ill-treatment upon arrest and during interrogation. Torture methods
included beating with sticks, sensory deprivation (blindfolding), shabeh, solitary
confinement and intimidation. Gazan security agencies appeared to use harsher
interrogation techniques with detainees suspected of treason.
56.
In a case monitored by OHCHR, in February 2014, a 27-year-old man accused of
treason was arrested by the Internal Security Agency. He was detained and transferred to
the civilian prison in Al-Katiba, west of Gaza city, where he was held for another six days.
He claimed that, during interrogations, he was beaten with a rubber stick and forced into
shabeh. He was reportedly detained in solitary confinement with the aim of obtaining
information on his alleged collaboration with Israel. Following his transfer back to the
Agency detention facility, he was held again in solitary confinement. He was allegedly
denied access to a lawyer and family visits.
57.
In a similar case, in March 2014, a 38-year-old man suspected of treason was
arrested by the Internal Security Agency. He was reportedly held in solitary confinement
and threatened with hanging. Although he was permitted to see the prosecutor, who
extended his detention for 15 days, he was denied the right to contact his wife and a lawyer.
Moreover, he was reportedly denied access to medical treatment while suffering from a
serious liver illness.
58.
Alleged members of the Tamarod movement (see A/HRC/25/40, para. 65) arrested
in November 2013 were also allegedly subjected to beatings on the hands and feet with a
stick, punching, shackling for extensive time periods and shabeh. A 16-year-old youth
suspected of being affiliated with Tamarod was arrested by the investigation police and was
held in detention for two days before being released. He was allegedly subjected to beatings
on the soles of the feet, shabeh and sleep deprivation. The victim reported to OHCHR that
nine other people were in detention on the same charges during his detention. He had been
detained on previous occasions for similar accusations. Some Fatah members also alleged
that they had been subjected to ill-treatment during detention. In March 2014, a 21-year-old
Fatah member was held in detention for several hours by the investigation police owing to
his participation in a demonstration supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. He
was reportedly held in solitary confinement and slapped in the face numerous times, forced
to stand on a wet and dirty floor, and verbally abused. He was subsequently released with
no charges.
14
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents