Human Rights Watch: Hamas and the Palestinian Authority Torture Palestinian Prisoners

Human Rights Watch in its latest report states that the Palestinian Authority on one side and Hamas on the other systematically torture Palestinian prisoners; they threaten and pursue their political opponents, and the harassment of these individuals is a constant aspect of the lives of Palestinian activists and opponents. Human Rights Watch, based in New York, presented the findings of its investigations in a detailed report released to the media on Tuesday, October 23. The Palestinian Authority, representing the Fatah movement and the Palestine Liberation Organization, has dominated the West Bank for 25 years. Hamas is an Islamist movement that has held power in the Gaza Strip for 11 years. According to an Associated Press report based on Human Rights Watch's investigative report, the treatment of detainees and prisoners by these two authorities and the harassment and pursuit of activists show no difference. Public belief is that Hamas's behavior towards Gaza citizens is harsher; however, Human Rights Watch states that Mahmoud Abbas's government in the West Bank systematically tortures and pursues opponents while also cooperating with the Israeli army and security services. Human Rights Watch conducted this two-year investigation based on interviews with 150 Palestinians, most of whom had previously been detained or imprisoned in the facilities of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. Human Rights Watch considers these tortures as a form of "crime against humanity" that contradicts the UN Human Rights Charter, which the Palestinian Authority, having official representation in the UN and its agencies, has signed. Human Rights Watch has called on the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate the actions of both Palestinian movements; the Palestinian Authority is a formal member of this court. Tom Porteous, a senior official at Human Rights Watch, called on officials from both Palestinian governments in a press conference in New York to guarantee the human rights of Palestinians. Violence, threats, and arrests also include demonstrators who have participated in protests for basic demands, such as obtaining rights and improving living conditions. Both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have rejected the Human Rights Watch report. Colonel Adnan Dmeiri, a senior security official in the Palestinian Authority, stated that the testimonies given were "not accurate"; he even mentioned that those who testified would be "interrogated"; it is unclear whether these statements are a new threat against the witnesses or a promise to address human rights violations by the agency he heads. Faraj al-Ghoul, a member of Hamas's legislative council in Gaza, also stated that the report was "unfair" and invited Human Rights Watch to visit Hamas's detention centers. However, Human Rights Watch has called on all countries that are in contact with both Palestinian governments and provide assistance to their security agencies to cut off these collaborations as long as this situation continues.