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Urgent campaigns / Urgent Interventions / Pakistan / 2000 / May

Pakistan: Palestine Autonomous Areas: sentencing by a special military court and alleged torture

Case PAL 230500

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Palestine Autonomous Areas.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by reports from the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, a member of the OMCT network, of the sentencing of Osama Khaled Hammad and judgement of Karima Khaled Hammad by a special military court after having been detained for nearly four years without a trial. Furthermore, OMCT has been informed that Osama testified, upon his release and to his wife and mother in October 1998, to poor living, conditions, persistent physical torture and humiliation.

According to the information received, by the order of the special military court at the al-Sarayah headquarters (Gaza Central Prison), on 21st May 2000, Osama Khaled Hammad and his sister Karima Khaled Hammad are officially released from custody, pending the approval of President Arafat. The special military court sentenced Osama to three years imprisonment and Karima was found not guilty of wrongdoing. The three year sentence is considered as already served. They were in fact released over a month prior to the hearing. They were accused of aiding and abetting their cousins, Kamal Hammad and Hussam Hammad in the murder of Hamas military leader Yehya Ayyash in 1996. Both Kamal and Hussam fled after the murder and are yet to be apprehended and have reportedly been sentenced to death in their absence.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in Palestine Autonomous Areas urging them to:

i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Osama Khaled Hammad and Karima Khaled Hammad and guarantee them adequate compensation for the time spent in prison without trial;
ii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the allegations of torture and ill-treatment, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iii. revoke the sentence of Osama Khaled Hammad and put an end to the trial of civilians in military courts;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

Addresses

Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority, Abu Khadra Building, Omar al-Mukhtar Street, Gaza, via Israel. Fax : + 972 7 2822 365/6 ( if voice, say "fax, please").
Palestinian Authority, Minister of Justice, Abu Khadra Building, Omar al-al-Mukhtar Street, Gaza, via Israel.
Fax : + 972 7 822 236 or +972 7 286-7109
Khalid al-Qidrah, Attorney General, Palestinian Authority, Attorney General Building, Yarmouk, Gaza, via Israel. Fax : + 972 7 824 503.

Geneva, May 23, 2000

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

Properties

Date: May 23, 2000
Activity: Urgent campaigns
Type: Urgent Interventions
Country: Pakistan

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