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Prime Minister knows about spying on Palestinian citizens, reveals rights group

January 29, 2018 at 11:11 am

Prime Minister of Palestine Rami Hamdallah in Ramallah, West Bank on 29 August 2017 [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

The Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) has revealed that Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah knows about the authority spying on Palestinian citizens, Al-Resalah newspaper has reported. Lama Faqih said that HRW has been following the issue of the PA spying on its own citizens “closely” and has investigated the issue.

It was revealed recently that the PA security services eavesdrop on mobile phones and other communication equipment owned by Palestinian citizens. Furthermore, warned HRW, the evidence shows that “unknown sides” are spying on the Palestinians. Several names, the group’s report noted, have been flagged up with the Public Prosecutor.

Speaking to the media, Faqih said that Palestinian rights groups filed a complaint to the PA Public Prosecutor about the espionage issue, pointing out that eavesdropping is a violation of human rights. She expressed her sadness that the PA judicial institution had ignored the complaints, and called for Public Prosecutor Ahmed Al-Barrack to take them seriously.

The HRW official also revealed that the PA threatened some of the citizens who have filed complaints. She condemned such a reaction against complainants.

Read: Security coordination kept confidential to protect interests, says PA official