Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 24 OctOber 2018
Human Rights Watch: Palestinians crush dissent with torture

By MOHAMMED DARAGH- cial cuts and other punitive
MEH measures against Gaza, a
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) tactic meant to squeeze
— Security forces of the rival Hamas.
Palestinian governments She denied all the allega-
routinely use torture and ar- tions, saying she had only
bitrary arrests, among other led protests and lobbied for
tactics, to quash dissent by ending the Hamas-Fatah
peaceful activists and po- split.
litical opponents, Human While she was never
Rights Watch said Tuesday. charged, Hamas officers
The charges came in a advised her "to be quiet"
new report released by the and focus on her home
New York-based watch- and family, "which I consid-
dog, following a two-year ered a veiled threat rather
investigation that included than advice," she added.
interviews with nearly 150 Human Rights Watch also
people, many of them ex- said it has encouraged the
detainees. It accused both International Criminal Court
the Western-backed Pales- to open an investigation
tinian Authority in the West into both Israeli and Pales-
Bank and the Islamic mili- tinian conduct in the Pal-
tant Hamas in Gaza of us- estinian territories. It called
ing "machineries of repres- on both Palestinian govern-
sion" to stifle criticism. In this Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 photo, Taghreed Abu Teer, recalls being held by Hamas authorities ments to pledge to stop
for 11 days and interrogated under “humiliating circumstances” for her activities with the rival
Human Rights Watch also Fatah movement during an interview in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. carrying out arbitrary ar-
said the systematic use of Associated Press rests, end torture and hold
torture could amount to credible investigations into
a crime against humanity rael and the Palestinian of harming "national unity" Teer, a 47-year-old journal- allegations of misconduct.
under the United Nations' territories, Omar Shakir, told or the "social fabric." ist, told the AP that she was In a rare step, the report
Convention against Tor- a news conference that Abbas' security forces also held by Hamas authorities also called on countries
ture, and called on coun- the Palestinian Authority work closely with Israel to for 11 days and interro- that provide security assis-
tries that provide funding detained 220 Palestinians keep Hamas in check in the gated under "humiliating tance to withhold aid until
to Palestinian law enforce- without charge or trial for West Bank. Critics accuse circumstances" for her ac- concrete steps are taken
ment to suspend their assis- their social media posts, Israel of holding Palestinian tivities with the rival Fatah to end the practices.
tance. including 65 university stu- detainees without charge movement. Among the aid is millions of
Palestinian President Mah- dents and two journalists. for extended periods and She said she was kept in a dollars for the West Bank se-
moud Abbas' government He claimed Hamas authori- also of torture. dark cell for days at a time curity forces from the U.S.,
joined the convention after ties in Gaza have detained Mohammed Khatib, a and forced to stand for which has continued its
Palestine was accepted as over 45 people for their so- 20-year-old law student lengthy periods. Although support even after slashing
a nonmember state at the cial media activity. and activist with Hamas' she was not physically hundreds of millions of dol-
U.N. "These numbers do not student branch in the West beaten, she said she could lars in other assistance to
"Palestinian authorities speak to the scale which Bank, told The Associated hear the screams of men the Palestinians. The report
have gained only limited both authorities have gone Press he was arrested last being tortured nearby, and said Hamas receives assis-
power in the West Bank to in order to shut down dis- month and held for 19 days that at one point, a man tance from Iran, Qatar and
and Gaza, but yet, where sent," Shakir said. at an intelligence center in with a whip threatened to Turkey.
they have autonomy, they Both Hamas and the Fatah- Ramallah. He said he was beat her as well. More than Adnan Damiri, spokesman
have developed paral- led Palestinian Authority forced to stand for hours a year and a half later, she for the Palestinian secu-
lel police states," said Tom denied the accusations. at a time and hung by his still cries when she recalls rity forces in the West Bank,
Porteous, deputy program The two Palestinian factions handcuffed hands to a the "unforgettable experi- denied any allegation of
director at Human Rights split in 2007 after Hamas vio- door for 15 minutes, a stress ence." systematic torture and
Watch. "Calls by Palestinian lently seized the Gaza Strip position meant to cause "As long as I was in the said authorities investigate
officials to safeguard Pales- from forces loyal to Abbas. pain but leave no sign of cell, I was wondering what claims and punish perpe-
tinian rights ring hollow as For more than a decade, injury. had caused me to end up trators.
they crush dissent." Hamas has maintained an "This is not only a violation here," she said. She spoke "These testimonies are not
According to HRW, the Pal- iron grip on power and sup- of human rights, it is a vio- at a relative's home so her accurate. They are testi-
estinian leaderships in the pressed any signs of pub- lation of human dignity, a six children would not hear monies of political activ-
West Bank and Gaza en- lic dissent, including street violation of basic morals," about the ordeal. ists who belong to political
gage in similar tactics, in protests and on social me- he said, adding that he be- Abu Teer said interroga- parties with political agen-
most cases without holding dia. lieved the aim was to intimi- tors threatened to charge das, and of course they will
anyone to account. Despite having Western date him. her with collaboration with put any blame they can on
Among the alleged abus- backing, Abbas has also HRW's report also high- Israel, widely feared as a the Palestinian Authority,"
es: whipping people's feet, silenced dissent in the ar- lights other tactics used stigma, and that most of he told the AP.
forcing detainees into pain- eas of the West Bank he to silence Palestinian dis- the questions focused on a In Gaza, Hamas denied ar-
ful stress positions, hoisting administers under past sent and punish activists, three-day trip she made to resting critics or opponents
up people's arms behind agreements with Israel. Last among them the seizing of the West Bank, where she on political grounds. Faraj
their backs with rope and year, he clamped down phones, leaving investiga- met senior Fatah officials al-Ghoul, a Hamas law-
coercing suspects into on social media and news tions and charges open, and briefed them about maker, said the report was
granting access to their websites with a vaguely and coercing detainees to the situation in Gaza. She "unfair," and that Human
mobile phones and social worded decree that critics promise to stop any further said interrogators accused Rights Watch was welcome
media accounts. say allows his government criticism. her of inciting the Palestin- to inspect the group's
The group's director for Is- to jail anyone on charges In Gaza, Taghreed Abu ian Authority to make finan- prisons.q