This week Human Rights Watch, an
independent organization, produced a 43-page report on the criminalities of
Hamas, the militant group who governs the Gaza Strip. Human Rights Watch gives
seven detailed accounts of systematic torture and mistreatment of prisoners, as
well as arrest, unfair trials and granted impunity for the militants involved.
The report calls for a moratorium of the death penalty in Gaza, and it asks
Hamas to put a stop to the prosecution of civilians in military courts.
Spokespersons for Hama claim that the situation has gotten better, as they have
opened their doors for three separate Palestinian human rights groups to
investigate the conditions the detainees are kept in. Hamas gained control of
Gaza back from forces who held loyalties to the president of the Palestinian
Authority, five years ago. Van Esveld, the author of the Human Rights Watch
report, says now that the Gaza government is in complete control of Hamas, it
is their opportunity to recover from these human rights violations and wrongful
arrests, and they can bring it all under accountability.
This
story of torture and impunity in the Gaza Strip is similar to those stories of
Latin American military dictatorships of the 1980’s, (and in fact military
programs all over the world, during many times.) I think that it is a basic
human right that we should be able to trust and be protected by those who are
supposed to be in place to trust and protect. The justice system SHOULD stand
for that, justice. But instead, we see these drastic violations and injustices.
Not only are these injustices present, but they are excused by amnesty and
impunity. I hope that Hamas continues efforts to clean-up it’s justice system,
and takes heed to the Human Rights Watch report and critique.
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