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Palestinians admit abuses
December 2, 1996
Web posted at: 11:40 p.m. EST (0440 GMT)GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (CNN) -- The Palestinian Authority on Monday admitted it was aware of human rights violations in Palestinian-controlled areas, after Amnesty International released a critical report.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's spokesman Marwan Kanafani said officials were looking for a solution to the problem.
The report by the London-based human rights organization criticized what it said was an increase in human rights abuses over the past two years. It said this was coupled with an emerging climate of fear and intimidation in areas under the Authority's jurisdiction.
Palestinian human rights activist Bassem Eid echoed the views of the report, saying it was difficult to solve the problem when people were to afraid to report incidents. He blamed the Palestinian Authority for the way detainees are treated.
Amnesty said mass detentions of suspected opponents of the peace process had been carried out following pressure by Israel and the United States to clamp down on those responsible for violent attacks on Israeli citizens.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related sites:
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- Amnesty International
- Malaysia Net: Palestinian Authority--Re-arrest of Human Rights Activist in Gaza
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