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Press Release: Al Mezan strongly condemns the murder of a 16-year-old boy in Gaza

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10 August 2021 |Reference 74/2021

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the killing of 16-year-old Azzat Sarhi Quweider at the hands of his family in Gaza City.

 

According to field reports, Quweider’s body—covered in bruises and abrasions—arrived at Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City at around 2:50am on Monday, 9 August 2021. Later that morning, the body was transferred to the Forensic Department at Shifa Hospital, which identified nervous shock and trauma associated with the use of hard objects as the cause of death. The police launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

 

Quweider was being held at Al-Rabee Juvenile Rehabilitation Institution pending criminal charges, prior to his release on Sunday.  

 

Al Mezan regrets the tragic death and expresses grave concern about the rise in violent crime against children and women in Gaza. The Office of the Public Prosecutor must fully and promptly investigate the incident and hold the perpetrators accountable through a sound legal process, avoiding any resort to mitigating factors on the grounds of extenuating family circumstances, which would undermine justice for victims and promote recurrence.

 

Al Mezan also reiterates its calls on the competent authorities to implement effective polices and strategies to address violence against children, while also maintaining strict compliance with all necessary proceedings against the perpetrators in such cases.