Human rights in OPT – Letter from Palestine

QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS,

INCLUDING POLICIES OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND SEGREGATION AND OF

APARTHEID, IN ALL COUNTRIES, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO COLONIAL

AND OTHER DEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES: REPORT OF THE

SUB-COMMISSION UNDER COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS RESOLUTION 8 (XXXIII)

Letter dated 15 July 1992 from the Permanent Representative

of Palestine to the United Nations Office at Geneva

addressed to the Under-Secretary-General for Human Rights

1. Since yesterday morning, Tuesday 14 July 1992, the Israeli occupation forces have been surrounding the University of Al-Najah, in Nablms, occupied West Bank, preventing any person from going out or entering tlae bailding. At the same time, the city of Nablus has been declared "closed military zone", and the media representatives are prevented from entering the city.

2. Inside the Al-Najah University, 4,000 students (boys and girls) are blocked, together with 250 teachers and members of the administrative staff, some of them with their children. Among the students, there are 15 pregnant young women. As a matter of fact, the day of yesterday, 14 July, was the day of the organization of elections inside the University, this is why the University was full of its students and staff; this action of the Israeli occupation authorities is, therefore, an attempt to prevent the process of democratic elections in the Palestinian universities.

3. In addition to the surrounding and blockade of the University, the Israeli occupation army has cut off water and electricity in the University building, and cars full of food and medical supplies are prevented from entering the University area. Moreover, the Israeli soldiers have been opening fire on the University building all day long.

4. This new flagrant violation of the most elementary human rights of the Palestinian people in the Palestinian occupied territories clearly shows the limits of the statements of the new Israeli Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Yitshak Rabin, and the continuation of the Israeli policy of repression and violation of human rights as well as of the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.

5. Before these grave events, which, on the one hand constitute a violation of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian youth to free and democratic elections inside the educational institutions, and on the other hand endanger the very lives of the Palestinian students inside their schools and universities, we kindly request you to take the necessary steps, within the framework of your humanitarian task, to put an end to these violations of human rights and of the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.

6. We also request you to consider the present memorandum as an official document of the coming session of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, as well as the coming session of the Commission on Human Rights.

(Signed); Nabil Ramlawi

Ambassador

Permanent Observer

Representative of Palestine to the

United Nations and the other

International Organizations at Geneva

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