2017-02-19

Ramallah

Human Rights Defenders / West Bank

His Excellency Attorney General
Dr. Ahmad Barrak,

Subject: The Detention of Sami Saeed Abed Al-Saa’i/ Artah/ Tulqarm

In reference to our previous memo, sent to you on 13/02/2017, in our name and the name of the Palestinian Human Rights Defenders Network, where we addressed the law violations in the detention procedures, including the failure to implement the judicial order pronounced by Tulqarm’s Magistrate Court to release the detainee, and we asked your Excellency to order his release or ask Jericho’s Magistrate Court to do so, considering that you are the custodians of the proper application of the law and the protection of human rights.

We inform you that the detainee’s wife has lodged a second complaint stating that her husband asked his mother, who visited him in Jericho’s prison, to let his wife know that he is being severely tortured by members of the Security Services, who have been holding him in detention since the eighth of January, which might lead to his death. In her complaint, the wife included what she called a warning from her husband’s death, and she revealed the contents of the letter that was delivered to her through her mother-in-law saying, “Prepare for my funeral because you will hear the news of my death soon. I can no longer feel my upper and lower limbs due to being subjected to strappado (reverse hanging) and isolated in my cell almost naked in extremely cold conditions, in addition to giving me unknown injections”.

The detainee’s wife added that she and her family are experiencing an extremely difficult situation at the psychological level, especially after receiving his letter in which he asks for his life to be saved, as stated in the wife’s complaint.

We, MUSWA – The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession, see in the contents of the wife’s complaint, if true, what requires your immediate intervention regarding the truth behind the circumstances which surrounded the arrest and the investigation, the claims of being exposed to torture, and the violation of the detainee’s constitutional rights. This is in addition to examining the entire content of the investigation file to find out whether or not it contains any legally viable justification for keeping him in detention or preventing his release. We hope that the proper legal action would be taken regarding this complaint.

His Excellency Attorney General,

We hope for the immediate release of the detainee, and that he receives the necessary medical treatment, if required.

With all due respect,

Issued on 19/02/2017

MUSAWA