115
demanded fair compensation if the assault takes place against personal
freedoms. It stipulates
“Each aggression committed against any personal freedom or
against the private life of a human being or against any rights or
public freedoms, which have been guaranteed by the Basic Law or
the law, shall be considered a crime. Criminal and civil case resulting
from such infringement shall not be subject to any status of
limitation. The National Authority shall guarantee fair indemnity for
those who suffered from such damages.”135
The right to freedom of opinion and expression in the West Bank continued to
face numerous violations by the Palestinian Security Services in the West Bank
during the year 2010. The internal division that occurred in the Gaza Strip
reflected its shadow and its negative impact on the reality of freedom of opinion
and expression, and its actual practice. Many restrictions are being imposed on
the exercise of this right. Many have been arrested or assaulted as a result of
exercising this right. For example, the Palestinian General Intelligence Service in
Hebron summoned Lama Khater and tried to restrict her, as a result of expressing
her opinion and her writings in many websites, including Palestine and Muslim
Palestine. She reported to ICHR that the Intelligence Service arrested her
husband on 09/05/2010, and questioned him about the writings of his wife and
her relationship with the media. They asked him to influence her in order to cut
back her writings against the Palestinian Authority, and then asked her to stop
writing in return for his release.136 ICHR demanded that the Intelligence Service
investigate the circumstances of the restrictions on exercising her right to
freedom of opinion and expression.
On 28/04/2010, the Preventive Security Service in Ramallah arrested Walid Al‐
Hodali, a Palestinian writer. Members of the Preventive Security broke into his
house at night and confiscated his computer and some of his books. He was
released later without giving back his computer.137
In the Gaza Strip, the Interior Ministry imposed numerous restrictions on
exercising the right to freedom of opinion and expression. It followed a
systematic policy to fully restrict the right to freedom of opinion and expression
135
See Article (32) of the 2005 Amendment to the Palestinian Basic Law.
According to the complaint submitted by the above‐mentioned to ICHR.
137
www.pchrgaza.org
136
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