At approximately 2:45PM today, Thursday 17 March 2011, persons who identified themselves as members of the internal security apparatus in Gaza city assaulted Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights’ field worker, Mohammed Abdallah, and confiscated his camera while he was doing his job on monitoring a peaceful assembly that was organized in front of UNRWA premises in the city.
Security members also attacked journalists as they covered the event.
Al Mezan strongly condemns these unjustified assaults and calls on Gaza government to investigate them and prevent security members from harassing or assaulting human rights defenders and journalists.
  According to the information collected by Al Mezan, security members assaulted its field worker and other journalists; including the Agence France Presse’s Mohammed Al-Baba and the BBC’s Mahmoud Al-Ajrami.
They confiscated a videotape from the Al-Jazeera crew.
The security members also attacked the participants in the assembly.
Later, security members returned Al Mezan’s camera, but without the memory stick on which photos and footage was stored.
  Al Mezan highlights that security and police members had harassed and assaulted Al Mezan’s field workers on several occasions during the past three days.
This despite that our field workers wear a special uniform with Al Mezan’s name and logo clearly visible on it.
Yesterday, 16 March 2011, field worker Yamen Al-Madhoun was assaulted and beaten and the memory stick of his mobile phone was confiscated while he was covering the events at Al-Azhar University in Gaza city.
  Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns the use of violence and excessive force by the police and security forces, who were also accompanied by dozens of young men in civilian clothes and carrying batons, and attacked participants in peaceful assemblies, human rights defenders and journalists.
Al Mezan therefore calls on the Gaza government to:   -           Issue clear, strict instructions to law enforcement personnel to ensure they respect that law and refrain from employing violence in dealing with peaceful assemblies in Gaza.
Persons wearing civilian wear must not be allowed to take part in police work and police members must be in their uniform.
-          Initiate prompt, serious investigations into the assaults on civilians; including journalists and human rights defenders, and take the necessary steps to bring such assaults to an immediate end.
  End