Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns the continuing state of insecurity and the deterioration of the rule of the law in the Gaza Strip.
In the last three days, two foreign journalists were kidnapped, and the president and members of the board of directors at Al Azhar University were assaulted.
According to the Center's fieldworkers, on Sept 12th, at approximately 16:20, armed persons stopped a taxi carrying two foreign journalists in the Al Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
The journalists, American correspondent Adam Pletts and British photographer Dion Nissenbaum, were on assignment for the Knight Ridder news agency.
The two were released the same day, at approximately 21:15, and were handed over to Palestinian security personnel in the area.
In a separate incident on Tuesday September 11th, at approximately 11:00, a group of students at Al Azhar University assaulted the university’s president, Dr.
Adnan Al Khaldi, as well as members of the board of directors.
According to the Center's fieldworkers, the incident took place following a quarrel between a student and his teacher.
This resulted in an urgent meeting of the University's board of directors to discuss appropriate punishment for the student.
During the meeting, a group of students broke into the meeting room and forced the president, director of public relations and several professors to leave university grounds.
Al Mezan condemns the kidnap of foreign citizens in the Gaza Strip, and emphasizes that this act paints a negative picture of Gaza and the Palestinian people.
It indicates the continuing deterioration of the rule of law and the state of insecurity.
Al Mezan strongly urges the PNA to follow up on previous kidnappings, and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Their failure to do so thus far has only encouraged more crimes.
The Center also denounces the assault against the president of Al Azhar University and its board members, and condemns all actions that undermine the rule of law.
Al Mezan warns the PNA that its failure to act can only contribute to further deterioration of the rule of law and calls upon it to prevent violations of the law and put an end to the state of insecurity in the OPT.
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