19.02.2007|Other|Principal Correspondence
Unlawful Requirement to Deposit Travel Documents at Erez
Following a new illegal procedure of seizing the passports or laissez-passers of citizens and East Jerusalem residents which has been implemented by the Ministry of the Interior's clerks at the Erez Checkpoint, HaMoked demanded the Ministry return the documents to their holders and end the procedure immediately. Seizing travel documents is an illegal act which violates the individual right to freedom of movement. Article 376a of the Penal Law stipulates that "whomever illegally detains the passport, laissez-passer or identity card of another individual shall serve a sentence of three years imprisonment." Following HaMoked's intervention, the procedure was dropped and the documents were returned.
