Palestinian human rights activist arrested over a Facebook post/Letter to the Palestinian mission in the Hague
PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ARRESTED OVER
A FACEBOOK POST/LETTER TO THE PALESTINIAN MISSION
IN THE HAGUE
SEE ALSO
TO THE PALESTINIAN MISSION IN THE HAGUE/THE NETHERLANDS
Mrs Rawan Sulaiman, ambassador
Subject: The arrest of mr Issa Amro by the security troops of
the Palestinian Authority
’’Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.’’
ARTICLE 19, UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Documents/UDHR_Translations/eng.pdf
Dear mrs Rawan Suleiman,
It’s with great indignation that I write to you about the arrest of
human rights defender and founder of Youth Against Settlements, mr Issa Amro by
security troops of the Palestinian Authority on 3 september 2017..
His ’’crime’’?
Using his fundamental right on freedom of expression.
According to my sources, mr Amro has been arrested by
Palestinian security forces after he had criticised the arrest of the Palestinian journalist, Ayman Naeem Qawasmi in a Facebook post. [1]
I’m glad to have learnt, that Mr Ayman Naeem Qawasmi
has been released now. [2]
But referring to mr Amro I ask you:
Since when is criticizing someone’s arrest in a Facebook
post a criminal offense?
It is mr Amro’s basic right to state his opinion and your government
should be deeply ashamed for acting like this!
This scandalous act of your government is no isolated incident,
but stems directly from a new "electronic crimes" law that limits freedom of expression online, [3] violating the basic right,
to say or write what you think.
My source [Al Jazeera] further states, that under the
’’electronic crimes law’’, anyone found guilty of acts online that disturb what is called "social harmony" faces up to 15 years of hard labour. [4]
To say it frankly:
This is crazy, dangerous and dictatorial and must stop
at once!
Mrs Sulaiman, you doubtless know, that I am not alone in my indignation about the arrest of Mr Amro!
Human rights organization Amnesty International
has called the arrest ’’a shameless attack on freedom of expression’’
[5]
As I wrote earlier, your government’s violating of free seech is no isolated
incident:
In june 2017, at least 11 websites were blocked [6] and in august
2017, Amnesty International concluded an alarming attack
in the freedom of expression since the start of 2017 [7]:
Journalists and activists were arbitrarily arrested, violent
interrogations took place as physical assaults. [8]
Mrs Sulaiman, I think I have made my point clear enough:
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, as
stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the international treaties and the Palestinian Authority
has the obligation to respect and maintain that right.
So I urge you to put pressure on your government, not
only to release mr Issa Amro immediately, but to stop
harrassing journalists, revoke the ’’electronic crimes law’’
and maintain human rights.
The Palestinian people don’t fight the brutal
Israeli occupation and all its injustices that hard, to become
oppressed by their ’’own’’ Palestinian government!
End the oppression of journalisst and fullfil your
international obligations!
That’s what I demand from your government.
I expect your cooperation.
Kind greetings
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
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