B'Tselem Urges Arafat Not to Approve Executions

A week and a half ago, the Palestinian State Security Court sentenced Walid Mahdiya and Amin Khafalah to death on charges of collaboration. Yesterday, the Palestinian State Security Court imposed the death penalty on Khaidar Ghanem, a former employee of B'Tselem. Ghanem was convicted of collaborating with Israel's General Security Service (GSS).

As is customary in the Palestinian State Security Courts' handling of such cases, Ghanem's trial lasted only about two and a half hours. His conviction was based solely on his confession. No supporting evidence was offered, and he was not given the opportunity to defend himself, as required by the principles of due process. The Palestinian State Security Court has sentenced to death 18 suspected collaborators in similar lightning trials; in 2 of these cases, the sentence was approved and the defendant executed.

Capital punishment is a flagrant violation of the most fundamental right - the right to life. Furthermore, the procedures employed by the Palestinian State Security Court fail to meet the minimal standards required by international law. B'Tselem urges the President of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, not to approve the death sentences and not to allow capital punishment.

Based on past experience, B'Tselem is concerned that individuals sentenced to death will be killed while in custody, and emphasizes that the Palestinian security forces are responsible for the prisoners' safety.

Ghanem worked for B'Tselem during the ten months that preceded his arrest. B'Tselem emphasizes that if the GSS indeed allowed Ghanem to work for B'Tselem while acting as an Israeli agent, it made cynical use of B'Tselem to advance GSS objectives. Such grave action endangers the lives of B'Tselem employees and human rights workers in the Occupied Territories.