On 8 February 2010, Adalah sent a letter to the Minister of the
Interior demanding the cancellation of a six-month travel ban imposed
on Mr. Khalil Tufakji, a prominent Palestinian planner and geographer
and a resident of Jerusalem. The ban prevents Mr. Tufakji from leaving
the country before 2 August 2010. Adalah also requested all the
materials the ministry had relied upon in making the decision to impose
the ban.
Adalah Attorney Haneen Naamnih stated in the
letter that Mr. Tufakji is an expert in geography and a researcher in
the fields of land, planning and the Israeli settlements in the West
Bank. He has served in many positions, including as director of the
department of mapping in the Society of Arab Studies and a member of
the Palestinian delegation to the final status negotiations in
1991-2001. He currently works as a member of the Palestinian Authority
presidential commission for real estate. His positions require him to
travel abroad several times a year to participate in various
conferences and events.
In the letter, Adalah protested
against the fact that Mr. Tufakji had not been given an opportunity to
respond to the allegations made against him at a hearing, as prescribed
by law. Adalah emphasized that the travel ban constitutes a blatant
violation of Mr. Tufakji’s constitutional right to leave the country,
which is protected by the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Freedom. |