<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Palestinian military prosecutors vow to stop arresting&nbsp;civilians]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p class="headline_meta"><abbr class="published" title="2011-01-19">19 January 2011</abbr></p>
<p><strong>The Palestinian military prosecutor’s office will stop  detaining civilians, and civilians will no longer be tried by  Palestinian military courts, according to a pledge made by senior  officials in the Palestinian security establishment to representatives  of the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq.</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#c60202;"><strong><em>IOA</em></strong></span> <strong>Editor:</strong> For background and political analysis, see Aisling Byrne’s <a href="http://www.israeli-occupation.org/2011-01-19/aisling-byrne-building-a-police-state-in-palestine/">Building a Police State in Palestine</a>.</p>
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<p>By Amira Hass, Haaretz – 19 Jan 2011<br />
<a href="http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/palestinian-military-prosecutors-vow-to-stop-arresting-civilians-1.337848" target="_blank">www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/palestinian-military-prosecutors-vow-to-stop-arresting-civilians-1.337848</a></p>
<p><strong>PA security establishment pledges to Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq stop detaining, trying civilians in the West Bank.</strong></p>
<p>The Palestinian military prosecutor’s office will stop detaining   civilians, and civilians will no longer be tried by Palestinian military   courts, according to a pledge made by senior officials in the   Palestinian security establishment to representatives of the Palestinian   human rights group Al-Haq.</p>
<p>The pledge is backed by senior political officials in the Palestinian Authority, <a href="http://www.alhaq.org/" target="_blank">Al-Haq</a> was told.</p>
<p>According  to Al-Haq’s director, Shawan Jabarin, he was given an  express pledge on  the matter at a meeting with the Palestinian  intelligence officials on  Saturday. The pledge was later backed up by  the approval of the chief of  the military judiciary, Ahmed Mobayed.</p>
<p>Jabarin said directives on the matter were  sent at the beginning of  the week to the security bodies in the various  districts of the West  Bank.</p>
<p>According to Palestinian basic law, based on  PLO revolutionary law  from 1979, the military has no authority to  detain or try civilians.  However, according to Al-Haq, the PLO’s courts  and penal code are  themselves illegal since they were never officially  published.</p>
<p>Palestinian human rights groups say illegal,  arbitrary detentions  are very common. This issue, together with torture  and abuse in prison  cells, has constantly been at the basis of claims  and criticism by  various groups and of the joint monitoring committee  the groups  established. The claims and criticism were made in writing,  at meetings  with senior PA officials and in publications.</p>
<p>The organizations have repeatedly expressed  their concern over a  decline to internal military rule  (within the  envelope of Israeli  military rule ).</p>
<p>In most cases, the detainees in question are  Hamas activists. The  fact that many are released having never having  been brought to trial  is proof, the organizations say, that the  detention stems from  political persecution rather than suspicions and  evidence of offenses.</p>
<p>Jabarin estimates that since 2007 there have  been some 10,000  political detentions of civilians, mainly ordered by  the military  prosecution. The number of civilians brought to trial by  the military  justice system during those years amounted to only a few  dozen.</p>
<p>Mass detentions are also made without any order, either from the military or the general prosecution.</p>
<p>Al-Haq called on PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in a press release to issue a clear presidential decree to underscore the order.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.israeli-occupation.org/2011-01-19/palestinian-military-prosecutors-vow-to-stop-arresting-civilians/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IsraeliOccupationArchive+%28Israeli+Occupation+Archive%29">Palestinian military prosecutors vow to stop arresting civilians — Israeli Occupation Archive</a>.</p>
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