Drug dealers in Gaza risk Hamas military trials
Hamas in the Gaza Strip has come under criticism for referring civilians accused of drug use and traficking to the military judiciary.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Hamas-run Military Justice Commission in the Gaza Strip announced Oct. 21 that 13 judicial rulings have been issued against drug dealers, including one death penalty.
It said during a press conference in Gaza City that narcotics found and seized by the Anti-Narcotics Department have been destroyed as part of the government’s efforts to combat drugs.
This comes as human rights organization have condemned the Hamas government for issuing death sentences against Palestinians, saying such rulings contradict the legal obligations of the state of Palestine’s obligations under international conventions, including the 1989 Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1989 — which is aimed at abolishing the death penalty. Palestine joined this covenant in 2018.
During the Military Justice Commission’s press conference, hundreds of thousands of different types of narcotic medical drugs, including 197 kilograms (434 pounds) of hashish and 181 kilograms (399 pounds) of banjo and marijuana, were displayed before destroying and burning them under the supervision of committees affiliated with the military prosecution.
