Ramallah, 4/9/2014 - The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) second deputy speaker Dr. Hasan Khraishe faced an assassination attempt this morning Thursday 4/9/2014. His car was shot at with live bullets by unknown assailants while he was driving from his home in Tulkarem (Dannabe neighborhood) to his office. He survived and did not sustain any injury.
Dr. Khraishe reported to MADA: “At 8:55 am, while I was driving to my office and was passing near the Prime Minister’s house, I heard the sound of gunfire. I stopped and got out of the car, and saw four impacts of bullets. They reached the back door of the car; none hit the driver’s door.”
He added: “I did not see who shot the bullets. I directly headed to security guards standing near the Prime Minister’s house and asked them if they had heard the gunfire. They said they did but did not see the shooter.”
Khraishe indicated that he had not received any warning threat in the period preceding the incident, or during the past three years. He asserted: “This was a direct attempt to assassinate me, not just a threat to silence me.” He explained that this attack was probably due to the fact that he always speaks up his mind sincerely and clearly. He added: “It seems that my straightforwardness has angered some politicians.” Dr. Khraishe is well known for his opposition to the Palestinian Authority’s policies.
This severe life-threatening assault against Dr. Khraishe is the second such event in the past few weeks. On 5/8/2014 Dr. Abdulasattar Qasem, professor of political science at Al-Najah University, also known for his critics of the Palestinian Authority, was subjected to a similar attack when armed men shot live bullets at him while he was driving near his home in Nablus. Six days before he had been punched and threatened by a man (whom he has identified) while he was making a life TV interview.
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) strongly condemns these serious assaults against Dr. Hasan Khraishe and Dr. Abdulsattar Qasem. MADA is gravely concerned by the repetition of such violations of the freedom of expression which have reached the very worrying level of assassination attempts. MADA demands that the Palestinian authorities investigate those cases immediately and hold those responsible accountable.
