From: hnaylor@igc.apc.org (Hilary Naylor)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: ISRAEL/OT: Hostage & Palestinians
Date: 20 Dec 92 07:29:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700899:000:3096
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hnaylor    Dec 19 23:29:00 1992


From: Hilary Naylor <hnaylor>
Subject: ISRAEL/OT: Hostage & Palestinians

/* Written 11:28 pm  Dec 19, 1992 by hnaylor@igc.apc.org in igc:ai.general */
/* ---------- "ISRAEL/OT: Hostage & Palestinians" ---------- */
Amnesty International
International Secretariat
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 8DJ
United Kingdom

DATE: 15 DECEMBER 1992

ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNS HOSTAGE-
TAKING OF ISRAELI POLICE OFFICER AND SEEKS ASSURANCES FOR PALESTINIAN
DETAINEES.

Amnesty International has expressed its condemnation of hostage-taking to the
Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which has taken responsibility for the
holding of Nissim Toledano, a member of the Israeli Border Police.  Amnesty
International is also appealing to the Israeli authorities not to carry out
arbitrary arrests of Palestinians and to ensure that all detainees are treated
humanely.

      Nissim Toledano disappeared on the morning of 13 December after leaving
his home in Lod in Israel.  Two Palestinians in the town of  al-Bireh claiming
to belong to Hamas' military wing produced a photocopy  of his identity card
and said he would be executed that evening unless  Israel released Sheikh
Ahmad Yasin, the imprisoned Hamas leader.  Before the expiry of the deadline
Sheikh Yasin appealed on television to those holding the police officer not to
execute him and called for negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli
authorities to take place.  In a statement released in Jordan on 14 December,
Hamas said it was ready to negotiate.                The Israeli government
has requested proof that Nissim Toledano is alive.  In the meantime, it has
sealed off the Occupied Territories, imposed a curfew on the Gaza Strip and
arrested over one thousand Palestinians.  They include Taher Shriteh, a well-
known Gaza journalist, and Dr Mahmud al-Zahhar, a prominent political figure
said to be close to Hamas.

      Amnesty International takes no position on the legitimacy of  political
conflicts, nor on the legitimacy of resorting to arms in pursuit of political
aims.  However, it opposes human rights abuses such as  the taking of hostages
and torture or execution of prisoners by either governments or armed
opposition groups.  

      Amnesty International said Hamas should release Nissim Toledano.   "We
are concerned that he is held solely as a hostage to obtain the release of
Sheikh Yasin.  In any case he should not be subjected to any form of torture
or ill-treatment and should not be executed.  Hostage-taking and violence to
prisoners are forbidden by international human rights and humanitarian law." 

      Amnesty International is also calling on the Israeli authorities not to
carry out arbitrary arrests of Palestinians in reprisal for the holding of
Nissim Toledano.  "Anyone detained for this reason should be released.  The
others should be given prompt access to a judge and then charged and brought
to trial if they are not to be released.  All detainees should be protected
from any form of torture or ill-treatment while in custody", Amnesty
International said.