In two separate letters, Al Mezan Center calls for establishing a comprehensive investigation committee.
It also calls the PLC’s Monitoring and Human Rights Committee to activate its role of monitoring and accountability with regard to al-Sabra clashes.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights sent two letters on the al-Sabra clashes, whose death toll amounted to 12 and over 40 persons were injured.
Clashes erupted after the launch of a police campaign by the Ministry of Interior to arrest wanted persons in Gaza city.
The campaign was launched at around 16:00 on Monday, 15 September 2008, and ended on Tuesday morning, 16 September 2008.
Residential houses inside and outside the targeted area were shelled.
Al-Nour Building and the house of Dr.
Mahmoud Azzahar were damaged.
The campaign was launched after a policeman was killed and the Head of CID at al-Abbas Police Station was injured while attempting to arrest Jameel Doghmush inside the Gaza Municipality headquarters at around 11:00 on Monday.
In a letter sent to the Minster of Interior, Mr.
Saed Siam, the Center welcomed the opening of an investigation into the incident.
The Center asserted that the establishment of a comprehensive, professional investigation committee to interview witnesses and victims is a significant mechanism to verify the allegations against the security forces that some of them killed a number of persons after laying down their weapons during the bloody clashes occurred in al-Sabra neighborhood.
The Center made it clear that it submitted this request based on the conclusions of its monitoring and documenting work and under-oath testimonies made by eyewitnesses and some persons injured in the clashes.
Such conclusions and testimonies raise serious concerns about misuse of power.
The Center also emphasized the importance of publishing the investigation’s findings.
The Center also sent a separate letter to MP Dr.
Yahia Mussa in his capacity as the Head of the PLC’s Monitoring and Human Rights Committee.
The Center requested to follow up the investigation and verify the credibility of the aforementioned allegations.
Al Mezan emphasized the PLC’s role of questioning the government as the PLC is the peoples’ tool to enforce the law and ensure observing the rule of law by everyone, and mainly the executive authority.
End