Udenrigsudvalget 2017-18
URU Alm.del Bilag 302
Offentligt
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PCHR Calls for Investigation into Death Circumstances of Young Man
only Few Hours after Being Arrested by Israeli Forces
Ref: 99/2018
Date: 18 September 2018
Time: 11:00 GMT
Today morning, 18 September 2018, Mohammed al-Khatib, from Beit Rima village, northwest
of Ramallah, died only few hours after being arrested by the Israeli forces. The Palestinian
Center for Human Rights (PCHR) calls for an immediate and impartial investigation into the
death circumstances of al-Khatib and expresses its deep concern that the Israeli forces had
properly practiced torture against him immediately after his arrest.
According to PCHR's investigations and eyewitnesses' accounts, at approximately 06:00 today,
18 September 2018, Israeli soldiers sneaked into Beit Rima village, northwest of Ramallah, via
a civilian white Volkswagen Caravelle with a Palestinian registration plate. The vehicle
stopped near a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Zaghloul al-Khatib (24), and the
 URU, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 302: Henvendelse af 18. september 2018 fra Human Rights March om omstændighederne omkring ung palæstinensers arrestation og død i israelsk fængsel
Israeli soldiers stepped out of it to raid al-Khatib's bedroom. They had brutally beaten him
before arresting and taking him to an unknown destination. In the morning, an Israeli officer
called the brother of the abovementioned and asked him if Mohammed suffers from a certain
disease, but his brother denied so. Shortly, the family received a phone call from the
Palestinian Liaison informing them that their son died. It should be mentioned that al-Khatib
was previously wounded by the Israeli forces with a bullet to his foot one year and a half
ago. Moreover, the Israeli authorities so far detain his body and have not delivered it yet to his
family or the Palestinian competent authorities.
Bashir al-Khatib, Mohammed's brother, said to a PCHR's fieldworker that:
"I woke up to the loud screams of my brother Mohammed, so I immediately went to his
bedroom, which is separated from our main house around 10 meters away. When I arrived, I
saw 10 Israeli soldiers severely and brutally beating him with their riffles and feet throughout
his body. I tried to move them away, but the soldiers forcefully drove me off and tied my
hands. They then locked my mother, sisters and I in a room in our house. After Five minutes,
we no longer heard the screams of Mohammed, and I saw one of the Israeli soldiers holding
Mohammed on his shoulders to a white vehicle and taking him to an unknown destination. At
approximately 09:00, I received a call from an Israeli officer asking me If Mohammed suffers
from any disease. I answered No, he does not have any, and the soldiers then surprisingly
ended the call. I then received a call from the Palestinian Liaison in Ramallah informing me
with the death of Mohammed."
The Israeli forces announced that they opened an investigation into the death
circumstances of al-Khatib. They said in a statement that:"
When the Israeli
forces went to arrest him, he fainted. The Israeli soldiers immediately treated
him and then took him to the hospital where his death was announced."
The
Israeli forces claimed that neither resistance nor violence occurred during the
arrest!!
It should be noted that this crime is the second to be committed by the Israeli
forces in similar circumstances this year. On 22 February 2018, Yassin Omar
Saradeeh (33), from Jericho, died after few hours of his arrest by the Israeli forces
who violently beat him. In addition to these 2 crimes, on 20 May 2018, Palestinian
prisoner ‘Aziz ‘Eweisat (53) from
al-Mukkaber Mount village, southeast of
occupied East Jerusalem, died in
"Assaf Harofeh"
Medical Center that he was
moved into from
"Eshel"
Prison after he suffered a stroke. Before the stroke,
prisoner 'Eweisat said to one of the prisoners that he was beaten and maltreated
in
"Eshel"
Prison under claims of pouring hot water on a prison official.
PCHR points out that Palestinian civilians are subject at the very moment of their
arrest to brutal beating, physical and psychological torture and inhuman and
degrading treatment in the Israeli jails; thus, PCHR:
1. Calls for immediate and impartial investigation in the death circumstances of
al-Khatib in light of suspicions that he was subject to brutal beating;
 URU, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 302: Henvendelse af 18. september 2018 fra Human Rights March om omstændighederne omkring ung palæstinensers arrestation og død i israelsk fængsel
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2. Calls upon the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to increase
its follow-up of the conditions of the Palestinian detainees and prisoners and
Arabs in the Israeli jails in addition to their detention circumstances; and
3. Calls upon the international community to compel Israel to respect
international law and international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth
Geneva Convention and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment
of Prisoners.
Public Document
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