Human Rights Watch to US, EU: Aid to PA must be conditioned

[ 07/04/2011 - 09:46 AM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Human Rights Watch has called on the United States and European Union to set conditions before giving more aid to the Palestinian Authority, as the West Bank authority continues to use abusive and repressive practices against news reporters and other Palestinians in the West Bank.

The calls were made by Joe Stork, HRW's director in the Mideast and North Africa during a press conference he held in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where he presented a report by the NGO on abuses by the PA security agencies against journalists.

Stork recommended that the US and EU stop supporting all PA security agencies unless they take significant steps to investigate and prosecute all security officials responsible for torture. He also urged the PA to publically announce its agreement to accept the conditions.

Meanwhile, the Change and Reform bloc of the Palestinian Legislative Council has said in a fresh statement that court martials ordered by the Fatah authority in the West Bank targeting Hamas supporters threatens to render reconciliation efforts a failure.

The statement describes Fatah calls to reconcile with Hamas as a sham, saying the calls are in complete contradiction with ”the elements of unity to which [Hamas] aspires”.

”Security coordination [with the Israeli occupier] has not left the mentality of the Abbas authority,” the statement reads, demanding that the PA ”creates the climate” for reconciliation by ending political arrests and court martials against Hamas supporters.

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