Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Calls for Immediate Discharge of Saif Ad-Din Shahin

At around 2 A.
M.
Monday 6 January 2003, members of the Palestinian Intelligence broke into the Al Jazeera Space Channel’s office in Gaza and detained its correspondent, Saif ad-Din Shahin.
Eyewitnesses said the security officials who carried out the arrest did not show any warrant from the General Prosecution office to authorize their action.
Shahin has been kept in the Intelligence Headquarters in the as-Sudanyeh area, north to Gaza City.
Al Mezan has been authorized to represent and defend Shahin, and the center’s lawyers went to the place where he is detained asking to meet him and find out the conditions and reasons of the detention.
However, their request was rejected and they were prevented from meeting him.
This procedure breaches Article (2) of the Palestinian Basic Law, and also Articles (102), (103) and (123) of the Criminal Procedures Law No.
3/2001, which sets out the defendant’s right to communicate with his lawyer and receive legal aid.
The center’s lawyers contacted the Attorney General’s Office to ascertain the reasons for his detention and demanded his immediate release.
Al Mezan calls for immediate discharge of Shahin and emphasizes the importance of maintaining the freedom of the media, as set out by Article (27) of the Palestinian Basic Law, which safeguards the freedom of audio-visual and written media and also of publishing, distribution and broadcasting.
The freedom of those who work for the media is protected by the Basic Law as well as by other related laws.
END