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| Press Release concerning Khader Shkirat. | |
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Press Release concerning Khader Shkirat 8.3.2002 The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network strongly condemns the treatment of board member of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, Khader Shkirat, and his family at his house in Jerusalem Thursday evening, march 7. According to our information, a unit of the Israeli Intelligence surrounded the house of Khader Shkirat, after placing the entire neighbourhood, Jabel Mukaber in East Jerusalem under a curfew. The officers of the intelligence unit threatened to bomb Shkirats house on the ground of the claim, that Shkirat should be hiding a fugitive in the basement of his house. Fearing for the safety of his family and his house Shkirat therefore agreed to come with the unit to the Israeli Police station at Jabel Mukaber for an interrogation. During the interrogation, the Israeli forces claimed to find a hidden fugitive in the basement of Shkirat’s house. According to our information, none of the eyewitnesses, representatives of Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations and EU consulates, which arrived at the scene, saw the claimed fugitive. Furthermore, Shkirat said that when the Israeli intelligence officer was ordering him to evacuate his family from his house, the officer told him: "If this house was in Gaza, I would not argue with you, but blow up the house immediately." During this period, representations were made to the Israeli forces to exercise restraint and to explain why Shkirat’s home was being targeted, including representatives Palestinean Human Rights organisations and human rights lawyers, the Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel, representatives of Israeli human rights organisations, Knesset members, including Azmi Bishara and Yossi Sarid. Diplomatic representatives from European Union consulates also came as observers. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network is appalled by this violent treatment of a well-respected layer and Human Rights activist Khader Shkirat, and believes that this unnecessary response to a perceived security threat is an expression of harassment of a human rights activist, and thus a violation of the UN Human Rights Defenders Declaration*. The Network has sent an open letter to the Minister of xx concerning the abovementioned case and urged the Israeli Authorities to open a public investigation on the circumstances leading to this grave incident. The Network calls upon the EU to increase efforts to insure that Israel complies with international human rights obligation. Copenhagen 8.3.2002 On behalf of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network Marc Schade-Poulsen, Executive Director Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network * UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. |
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