The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights views with much concern the assault and detainment of lawyer Ahmed Al ‘Ijla.
Al Mezan calls for investigations into the incident, bringing the perpetrators to justice, and taking procedures that ensure the respect of lawyers in their place of work.
According to information available to Al Mezan, at approximately 10:00 am on Thursday 14 February 2013, members of the judicial police beat lawyer Ahmed Waleed Al ‘Ijla, 26, in front of the room of the first instance court of Gaza.
A verbal dispute between the lawyer and the police officers had erupted when the officers assaulted an elderly man.
The verbal dispute then escalated when the police officers held the lawyer by his necktie with six officers trying to detain him.
More lawyers intervened, with officers aggressively pulling and holding the neckties of two men, lawyers Bahaa’ As-Swerki and Sa’adi Attallah.
The officers then took lawyer Ahmed Al ‘Ijla to the court’s jail, which is located in the basement.
The officers proceeded to beat him in the head with the butts of their AK-47s.
They then detained him.
At approximately 1:30 pm on the same day, the Minister of Justice and members of the Palestinian Bar Association went to the court and lawyer Al ‘Ijla was released.
The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns the assault against lawyer Al ‘Ijla and his colleagues and denounces the repeating of such assaults while lawyers are in their places of work.
Al Mezan calls on the public prosecutor to investigate the incident and bring perpetrators to justice.
It also calls on the government to take procedures that ensure protection for lawyers and enhancement of their roles in defending victims and achieving justice.
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