On the Murder of Sheikh Majed Barghouti

23 February 2008

"Abbas gives his orders to the security forces to kill any imam or people with specific political affiliations."

On the torture death of 42-year-old Majed Barghouti, through torture in the West Bank city of Ramallah, by Fatah forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas.

The following is an account by four men that was held at the same time as Sheikh Barghouti:

Barghouti's cousin, Seif Barghouti, said Saturday the family learned of the mistreatment from four men who had been arrested along with Barghouti and were released after his death.

The four told the family that they and Barghouti had been tied up in painful positions during interrogation and that intelligence officers demanded to know where the detainees had hidden weapons.

One of the released detainees, Azzam Sahel, showed a reporter his bruised, purple wrists, which he said he sustained while being tied up in painful positions, including being forced to stand on his toes for extended periods.

Sahel said he was forced to sleep on cardboard on a wet floor, dressed only in a T-shirt and underwear. He said Barghouti was in a nearby cell, and that he could hear him shouting for help repeatedly, but that he did not witness actual mistreatment of Barghouti.

Halima Barghouthi, the mother of Majed al-Barghouthi, shows his picture after his death [AFP]

Barghouti's wife, Fawziyeh, said her husband was in good health when he was arrested.

Barghouti the father of eight was a mosque Sheikh in the West Bank village of Kobar.

As the torture allegations spread, Barghouti's relatives blocked a main road near Kobar with rocks and burning tires Friday night and Saturday morning, demanding that his interrogators be put on trial.

In Friday's protest, Fatah security forces fired in the air to disperse the crowd.