2 Citizens Killed by Gunmen in Nablus

Palestinian Center for Human Rights 31 May 2006

Yesterday evening, Jefal Mahmoud Ayesh (25) and Wedad Ghazi Abu Mustafa (28), from Balata refugee camp near Nablus, were extra-judicially executed in two separate crimes perpetrated by armed Palestinian groups. The perpetrators claimed that the victims had been informants for the Israeli security services.

PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 15:30 on Tuesday, 30 May 2006, a number of gunmen from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, shot Jefal Ayesh near the northwestern entrance of Balata refugee camp. Ayesh was hit with several bullets to the head, chest and limbs, killing him instantly. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades declared responsibility for the crime, claiming that the victim had been collaborating with the Israeli security services.

And at approximately 16:40 on the same day, an armed group apprehended Wedad Abu Mustafa from her house in Balata refugee camp. The gunmen took her to Rafedia Hospital in Nablus. When they reached the hospital’s courtyard, the gunmen fired at her. She was killed instantly by bullets to the head, chest and limbs. The victim was the widow of a citizen who had been recently killed by Israeli Occupation Forces

Since the beginning of 2006, six Palestinians have been executed extra-judicially by armed Palestinian groups, under accusations of collaborating with Israeli security services.

PCHR is worried about the continuation of extra-judicial executions carried out by armed Palestinian groups, against persons accused of collaboration with the Israeli security services. The Centre stresses the following:

  • These crimes are a form of extra-judicial execution and are, therefore, a serious violation of human rights;
  • The legal pursuit of informants or those suspected of collaborating with Israel is the duty of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and its designated branches. This must be done within the framework of the law, where suspects are ensured of all their legal rights, including the right to a fair trial; and
  • The Centre reiterates its strong opposition to the death penalty under any and all circumstances, as it is a serious violation of human rights, especially the right to life and the right to freedom from torture and cruel and inhumane treatment.

    For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 - 2825893
    PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.
    E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org Webpage: http://www.pchrgaza.org

    The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is an independent legal body based in Gaza City dedicated to protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law and upholding democratic principles in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It holds Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and is an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists, the Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network. PCHR is a recipient of the 1996 French Republic Award for Human Rights.