At approximately 10:00 AM on Wednesday, 16 March 2016, members of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) in Gaza, accompanied by police officers, stormed into the offices of the Palestinian Bar Association, by force attempting to confiscate computers and documents pertaining to financial and administrative records. Use of force in such instances is in a clear breach of the law. In addition, media outlets were banned from covering the incident.

Mr. Ali Al-Din, a board member of the Palestinian Bar Association, told Al Mezan Center for Human Rights (Al Mezan):

“In the last two months there has been constant communication between the Association and the SAACB in Gaza upon the request of the latter. In these communications, the Association stressed the importance of respecting the rule of law and due processes, and expressed its willingness to cooperate and provide necessary facilitation”.

In addition, Mr. Al-Din denied rumors about the existence of complaints allegedly filed by lawyers to the SAACB, and added that the SAACB also denied receiving any complaints. Al-Din asserted: “after hours of negotiations and mediation from various national factions, the Bar association handed over 2014 and 2015 files to the SAACB”.

It’s worth noting that on Wednesday, 16 March 2016, the Palestinian Bar Association in Gaza called for suspension of work in all courts and institutions, and called on all lawyers to head to the Association’s headquarters in Gaza. In addition, the Association called for a strike and gatherings in front of all courts in the Gaza Strip on 17 March 2016 in protest against the raids on its offices.

In turn, Mr. Iyad Al Bozom, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior in Gaza, said that the rumors circulating in the media were all baseless, and called on all journalists to verify the information before reporting about it. Mr. Al Bozom added that in the context of the SAACB responsibility to monitor public institutions and labor unions, and after five months of refusal of cooperation by the Bar Association, the SAACB sent a special team to the Bar Association offices to follow necessary legal procedures.

Mr. Al Bozom added: “the SACCB team members were assaulted by members of the Bar Association; meanwhile prominent figures from several national factions mediated the dispute, which resulted in an agreement under which the Bar Association handed over part of the required documents and will hand over the rest in the coming days”.

Al Mezan condemns the raid on the Palestinian Bar Association and calls on relevant authorities to abide by the rule of law and due process in a manner that respects the freedom of work unions.

Al Mezan affirms that lawyers are advocates of the judiciary according to article 75 of the Judicial Authority Law. Furthermore, lawyers’ dignity is an inherent element in the respect for judicial staff, and any assault on individuals is an assault on the judicial authority, which would reflect negatively on the justice system as a whole.

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