PCHR accuses Hamas of arresting 16 Fatah activists

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) claimed Tuesday that the Hamas-led Palestinian government in Gaza Strip arrested 16 members of the rival Fatah movement over the last days. The center expressed, in a statement, concern over the summon and arrest campaign launched by the Internal Security Service (ISS), urging upon the government in Gaza "to fully abide by law and stop the politically-motivated arrests." Human rights activists from the center met some detainees and their families confirmed that the campaign targeted a number of Fatah leaders, including current and former province secretaries, area secretaries, according to the statement. They said they were questioned over money given to families of Fatah members who were killed or wounded during the events of June 2007, it noted. In the northern Gaza Strip, the ISS summoned and arrested nine members of Fatah movement last Friday. In the central Gaza Strip the ISS officers arrested in the following day Hatem Saber Othman, 45, the former deputy chief of the Preventive Security Service in the area. In Khan Yunis the ISS officers raided, also on Saturday, the home of Mohammad Khalil Irbei', 42, in Al-Satar Al-Gharbi area. Jihad Mohammad Abu Mousa, 50, and Saleh Abu Hamed, both are Fatah activists in the west and east of Khan Yunis province, were handed summons to the ISS office yesterday, August 12; they were arrested, questioned and then released, the statement added. It reminded of the verdict, adopted by the Palestinian High Court of Justice on February 20, 1999, against the politically-motivated arrests.