A civil rights group has filed a habeas corpus petition with Israel’s High Court of Justice, challenging the military’s refusal to disclose the location of Asaad Nasasra, a Palestinian paramedic detained during a deadly attack on 23 March in which Israeli forces killed 15 emergency responders.
The petition, submitted by HaMoked, follows weeks of silence from the Israeli occupation army regarding Nasasra’s whereabouts. The paramedic was arrested during an attack that drew international condemnation, as Israeli troops opened fire on ambulances, a fire truck and a UN marked vehicle. Although the army dismissed the deputy commander of the Golani Brigade’s reconnaissance unit over the incident, an internal investigation claimed no breach of ethical conduct occurred, only “professional errors” and violations of protocol.
Nasasra has not been seen or heard from since his detention, and his family remains in the dark. HaMoked, acting on behalf of his wife, formally requested information from the occupation army. In response, the military said Nasasra would be barred from seeing a lawyer until 7 May, offering no further details.
“This petition concerns the most basic right of a detainee: that his detention and location will be made known,” said Ameeneh Qumbar, an attorney from HaMoked.
“This is also the right of the detainee’s family to know the fate of their loved one. Israeli authorities must immediately inform his family of Mr. Nasasra’s whereabouts, even if he is not allowed to meet with an attorney. However, the circumstances of Mr. Nasasra’s detention raise grave concerns regarding his well-being and he should have immediate access to a lawyer in order to ensure his basic rights.”
The petition also highlighted growing fears for Nasasra’s wellbeing, due to widespread reports of abuse and inhumane treatment of Palestinians held in Israeli detention centres.
“[The testimonies of released detainees] prove that the detention conditions of Gazans in various detention facilities are harsh and even include torture. The concern for the petitioner’s fate grows with time, due to the cruelty of the circumstances of his arrest and the killing of his colleagues before his eyes.”
It comes after the bodies of 15 emergency and aid workers from the PRCS, the Civil Emergency Service and the UN were found buried in a mass grave along with their vehicles in southern Gaza in March. The UN and the Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of killing them after they were dispatched to respond to reports of injuries from Israeli air strikes. This was confirmed by video footage recovered from one of the bodies, leading the Israeli army to change its account of the deadly incident.