ISSA AMRO RELEASED

Release of Palestinian Human Rights Defender Issa Amro after detention by the Palestinian Preventive Security Forces

Issa Amro, a by the EU and UN recognized Human Rights Defender (HRD) and coordinator of the nonviolent activist group Youth Against Settlements (YAS) in Hebron, was released on bail – of around 1400 USD-  on the 10th of September after being detained for 7 days.  The Charges against him remain.

The Palestinian Preventive Security Forces had summoned Issa Amro on  4 September 2017 for interrogation over a facebook post, in which Amro criticized the arrest of radio journalist Ayman Qawasmeh by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and called for the guarantee of freedom of expression and opinion. In addition to the charge of ‘disturbing public order’ under the Electronic Crimes Law which the PA recently passed, further charges put forward against Mr. Amro are ‘causing strife’ and ‘insulting the higher authorities’ under the 1960 Jordanian Penal code. The later is still enforced in the West Bank today

According to Youth Against Settlements, he repeatedly was threatened with physical violence by the Preventive Security Forces.

According to Amnesty International, his arrest needs to be seen in the context of “an alarming escalation in the Palestinian authorities’ clampdown on freedom of expression in recent months.” An active and non-violently engaged civil society, as in the case of Issa Amro and Youth Against Settlement, is a precondition for a democratic, just and on  human rights based society in the occupied Palestinian territory as well as in the whole Middle East. The continuation of the current repressive politics of the Palestinian Authority are a serious threat to such a society.

Mr. Amro is also currently also facing 18 charges in Israeli military court for his nonviolent work for an end of the Israeli occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory.

 We call upon you to:

 Ask the Palestinian representations to take position concerning the charges against Issa Amro’s and call upon the Palestinian Authority to immediately drop all charges against him.

If the charges are not dropped, demand a fair and transparent Court hearing, according to Art. 6 of the Convention for the Safety of Human Rights and Basic Rights.

Take position publicly for freedom of expression in the occupied Palestinian territory, and demand an immediate stop of the repression against non-violent civil society initiatives as Youth Against