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Prisoners Committee claims that political detentions are still happening in the West Bank

February 17, 2014 at 11:14 pm

The Families of Political Prisoners Committee in the West Bank has said that political detention is still being used by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces despite the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation meetings being held in Cairo. A press release issued by the Committee and the Muslim Youth Association claimed that there have been more than 90 cases of political detention, 150 summoning orders and the sacking of 17 teachers in the West Bank since the meeting between PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khaled Meshaal last month.


“Cordial reconciliation meetings between Hamas and Fatah continue in Cairo, as part of the talks aimed at the implementation of national reconciliation,” said the Committee’s statement, “and every time promises are made to release political detainees, headlines are written and deadlines are set, but nothing happens.” The last such “deadline” was 15th December but the “optimistic statements” have not been put into practice.

The two groups called for Palestinians to participate in a protest and sit-in to be held on Thursday, December 22 in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank.