Palestinians in the Gaza Strip face "serious abuses" in the justice system, according to a report from pressure group Human Rights Watch (HRW). The violations included arbitrary arrest, incommunicado detention, torture, and unfair trials, HRW said. The Gaza Strip has been governed by the Islamist movement, Hamas, since it seized power there in 2007. Hamas's deputy foreign minister said the allegations were being investigated but that the situation had improved. "Maybe we have some violations from time to time, but it is not a widespread phenomenon," Ghazi Hamad told the BBC. "I can confirm that there is no torture and we are trying to follow international law in all jails and prisons," he added. Mr Hamad also stressed that in Gaza there was "no kind of political arrest... or any kind of punishment or torture of political activists", something which has been frequently alleged. 'Impunity' HRW's report details cases of alleged torture and deaths in detention, other cases where due process was not followed and also criticises the practice of trying civilians in military courts. One case cited is that of Abdel Karim Shrair, who was executed in May 2011 for allegedly collaborating with Israel. HRW says the charges were partially based on confessions that appear to have been obtained using torture. "After five years of Hamas rule in Gaza, its criminal justice system reeks of injustice, routinely violates detainees' rights," said Joe Stork, HRW's deputy Middle East director. "Hamas should stop the kinds of abuses that Egyptians, Syrians, and others in the region have risked their lives to bring to an end." Hamas officials claim that investigations are mounted into abuses by security services and says hundreds of members of the security services have been disciplined since 2007, the report says. However, details of cases in which officials were censured have not been made public, according to HRW, adding that Hamas authorities have in practice granted "impunity to abusive security services". Human rights groups have also criticised the Palestinian Authority, dominated by the rival Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas, for abuses in the Palestinian-run justice system in the West Bank. HRW notes that "Palestinian political rivalry remains a significant factor behind many Hamas abuses against detainees in Gaza," and adds that Hamas members in the West Bank face the risk of arbitrary arrest. However, the report adds that "human rights lawyers in Gaza said that they have continued to receive the same kinds of allegations of abuse" even after an attempted reconciliation between the two sides last year.
Maybe you should continue reading, their human rights record is appalling. Then again, you are one of those people who boycotts anything Israeli so maybe you just don't want to hear the truth.
Lying is such an extreme word. You have to look at motivations and potential biases behind their reporting on such events. E.g. the CE of Save the Children is an ex chief spin doctor for the labour party. The much quoted "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights" is one man in an office in Coventry. Who are HRW, what is their purpose? What is their reporting on the many human rights abuses of Israel e.g. phosphorous bombings, were they around to report anything on the Sabra, Shatila massacres?
This forum has become very serious since I was last on. Let's get to the important stuff:- Play dough or moon sand? I made doggie bones with moon sand last night, i don't think I could have done that with play dough.
Silly Hamas Don't they know that when you are elected you're not supposed to do what you said you would They've got it all wrong
You could snort it if you like but it's generally used to make a mess in your kitchen and stick to the soles of your shoes. I'll snort it tonight and let you know how it goes.
Meerkats and elephants let babies feed from their tits even if they aren't they're own babies. Lions kill babies. I like lions.
Moon sand it is then. I made 10 puppies and 10 bones with my daughter last night. There will be no more playdough in my house, and that's a fact. If one of you try to bring playdough into my house I'll say "hey, you, NO".
I'll probably go into a magical universe with flying hippos, pin unicorns and ML11 being a student. At least I'll know it's only a hallucination.
