Palestinian Authority Chairman Yassir Arafat authorized the closure of all the ‘security courts’ in the West Bank and Gaza on Sunday, as part of the PA’s internal reform.
Security courts, common throughout the Arab world, function outside of the military and civil judicial system. In the Palestinian case, they were allegedly the scene of rapid death sentences without appeal, as well as the prohibition of independent legal counsel and witnesses.
The Palestinian Authority introduced security courts in 1995, after the U.S. and Israel pressured the PA to reprimand terrorists, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. The trials were almost entirely closed to the public and the media, and prosecuted felonies like collaboration with Israel and homicide. In addition, the PA reportedly transferred civil trials to the security courts, according to the same report.
Likewise, the PA was harshly criticized by human rights groups like Amnesty International for these practices.
According to the Justice Ministry’s Chief of Staff, Ahmad Chandor, all of the trials within the Palestinian Authority will now take place in civil courts.
Palestinians and human rights activists applauded Justice Minister ‘Abd Al-Karim Abu ‘Sallah for executing the reform, according to regional news reports.
The closure of the ‘security courts’ by Arafat indicates that he still exercises administrative authority over civilian infrastructure, despite Israeli and American attempts to ostracize him from diplomatic proceedings.