-----Original Message----- From: Human Rights Action Project <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tuesday, 9 March 1999 11:45 Subject: HRAP Press Release--9 March 1999 ______________________________________________________ HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION PROJECT PRESS RELEASE NO. 3/1999 9 MARCH 1999, 6:00 PM ________________________________________________________ ISRAELI MILITARY AUTHORITIES CONTINUE CAMPAIGN OF ARRESTS AGAINST BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Two Students Arrested ________________________________________________________ Birzeit - Two Birzeit University students were arrested by undercover Israeli Special Forces today. Morad Feqeh, 21 and Yousef Abu Qammar, 25 were both arrested early this afternoon while travelling to the University. The bus which was carrying the students, was stopped while travelling North along the Ramallah/Birzeit Road at the "Haifa" gas station outside of Ramallah, at which point undercover Israeli officers ordered all of the female passengers off-board. Two undercover Israeli vehicles then sandwiched the bus, which was forced to proceed to the bypass road leading to the Beit El Settlement, about a kilometer and a half from the petrol station. At the bypass road--a site where Israeli soldiers often place checkpoints--the six men were ordered off the bus, and Feqeh and Abu Qammar were taken away by the security agents. The bus driver was subsequently ordered to drive to Ramallah, a punitive move which prevented the remaining students from gaining access to the University. The arrest of the two students brings to ten the number of students arrested in the last 9 days. The current number of Birzeit students in detention is fifty-five, seventeen of which were arrested in the period since the beginning of the year. Students have been detained on the basis of their support of various student political factions, including past and present members of the student council, as well as a previous student council president. In an institution which prides itself on democratic values and freedom of expression, the continued harassment and arrest of these individuals places a heavy toll on the university community as a whole. The Birzeit Student Council President, Iyad Habib Mohammad, has been held in detention by the Israeli military authorities since 26 January 1999. Many of the arrested Birzeit students are detained without charge, and frequently tortured (the use of coercive methods internationally defined as torture, such as violent shaking have been upheld by the Israeli High Court as legitimate means of interrogation). We ask all those opposed to this unequivocal harassment campaign against Birzeit University students to send letters of appeal to the below addresses. Copies should also be sent to the Human Rights Action Project at this address. Mr Binyamin Netanyahu Prime Minister Office of the Prime Minister 3 Kaplan Street Jerusalem 91919, Israel Faxes: + 972-2-566-4838 E-mail: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Mr Tzahi Hanegbi Minister of Justice Ministry of Justice 29 Salah al-Din Street Jerusalem 91029, Israel Faxes: + 972-2-6285-438 E-mail: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mr Avigdor Kahalani Minister of Internal Security Ministry of Internal Security PO Box 18182, 3 Sheikh Jarrah Kiryat Hamemshala Jerusalem 91181, Israel Faxes: + 972-2-582-6769 E-mail: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________ The Human Rights Action Project was established at Birzeit University in 1977 to monitor the growing human rights violations against Birzeit students and staff by the Israeli military authorities. Birzeit University is an independent Palestinian university 24 kilometers north of Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Human Rights Action Project (HRAP) Public Relations Office Birzeit University P.O. Box 14, Birzeit West Bank via Israel Tel: +972-2-298-2059 Fax: +972-2-295-7656 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: http://www.birzeit.edu/hrap KEEP INFORMED VIA E-MAIL! There are three e-mail information lists available at Birzeit: 1) General news, press releases and announcements about the university. E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] to be added. 2) Birzeit Website Announcements - news about what's new on Birzeit's website and developments in the Palestinian Web community. E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] to be added. Information about the human rights situation at the university - Website: http://www.birzeit.edu/hrap/ E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Apologies if you have received this message more than once. We are currently updated our distribution lists. 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