Human rights group slams Palestinian leaders for torture, arrests of journalists

JERUSALEM – Human Rights Watch released a damning report Tuesday about the Palestinian leadership's persecution of journalists and activists, shining a spotlight on the extreme length of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The report documents more than 80 cases of torture and arbitrary arrests, some for nothing more than writing a critical article or Facebook post, others for belonging to the wrong student group or political movement.

"The attacks by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are dissidents and demonstrators, reporters and bloggers are both systematic and unpunished," said Tom Porteous, deputy program director at Human Rights Watch.

Although the West Bank and Gaza remain under Israeli occupancy, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have largely controlled population centers.

The two Palestinian leadership has failed to reconcile more than 10 years after Hamas wrested control of Gaza from rival Fatah faction, which dominates the Palestinian Authority. The discord has meant that free elections have not taken place in a decade.

Both authorities performed the abuse in the report.

The report comes as the issues of the Middle East and the treatment of dissidents have been reported after the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

Journalists, Political Activists, Students, and Demonstrators. Some of them are ordered to provide access to their cellphones and social media accounts.

In Gaza, journalist Amer Balousha said he was beaten and detained by Hamas' security forces for a Facebook post critical of the leadership. "Do your children sleep on the floor like bears do?" He said he wrote on the social media platform.

The report also charges the Palestinian Authority with holding hundreds of dissidents in administrative detention without charge or trial.

Journalists in the West Bank have recently reported a brutal crackdown on their work.

Journalist Jihad Barakat said Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah's convoy at an Israeli military checkpoint.

"Bargat told The Post," It is important for us to talk about this mistreatment so we can work freely in the future and without harassment.

[‘Cruel and indefensible’: HRW slams Hamas for holding mentally ill Israelis]

Shawan Jabarin, the executive director of al-Haq, said, "The fact that Israel is systematically violated Palestinians' most basic rights is no reason to remain silent in the face of the systematic repression of dissent and torture Palestinian security forces are perpetrating. "

Human Rights Watch is one of the leading organizations in the world.

Husam Arafat, head of the human rights and civil society for the Palestine Liberation Organization, to which the Palestinian Authority is affiliated, said that the allegations are true, "we will deal with it and hold those responsible accountable before the law."

In Gaza, the report of the author, who said that the persecution of dissidents is a bit of a problem.

"There is one color that governs the Gaza Strip. Monitoring institutions are missing, "said Issam Younis, director of the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights.

A spokesperson for Hamas said that the group had cooperated with Human Rights Watch but that "the report lacked precision and objectivity."

"Unfortunately, many of our clarifications have been ignored," said Iyad al-Bozom, spokesman for the Interior Ministry. "Torture is absolutely unacceptable to us. When violations occur, punitive measures are taken. "

Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director of Human Rights Watch, said it is "unfortunate that some of the Palestinians have been forced to leave the country". documented. "

Taha reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Hazem Balousha in Gaza contributed to this report.

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