2021-08-11

Gaza

Gaza / Announcement / Core Program / position paper

H.E. Director of Women Police Department Respected Colonel Nariman Adwan / Gaza

Subject: Women police officers transgressing their job duties and treating female lawyers with bullying and arrogance

MUSAWA - The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Legal Profession and the Judiciary, presents its greetings to you, indicating that the legal supervisor in it went to Al-Abbas Police Station for the purpose of filing a complaint, where she was surprised by members of the female police who obliged her to accompany her, looking at her with condescension and addressing her in inappropriate words, despite her assuring them that she is a lawyer working in a Legal institution and that her mission is limited to filing a written complaint to the investigation official, but they insisted on accompanying her, attending her interview, writing down her complaint, interfering in the ongoing dialogue between her and the investigation official and asking her to quickly leave the place by telling her, “finish quickly, we have work to do.”

Noting that other female lawyers have previously been subjected to the same method during the dealings of female police officers in a way that exceeds their job role and the powers entrusted to them with regard to arrest and investigation in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure, which involves clear discrimination based on the uniform worn by the female lawyer, which marks the style of dealing through bullying and discrimination, to the contrary to the principles and values contained in the Basic Law and required by human dignity and by the provisions of the Law of the Bar.

Accordingly, we call on you to conduct an investigation and activate oversight over the performance of women police officers to ensure their commitment to the provisions of the law and not to exceed the tasks entrusted to them, including activating accountability for the act or omission attributed to them, in a manner that embodies the principle of the rule of law, preserves the dignity of female lawyers, and facilitates them to play their role in the defense about their clients, and to provide us with the results and the actions taken as appropriate.

With all due respect

Issued on: 11/08/2021

MUSAWA