Court hearing of prominent Palestinian academic adjourned

The Palestinian Magistrates’ Court in the West Bank city of Nablus has adjourned the hearing of prominent Palestinian academic and political analyst Abdul-Sattar Qasim until the end of January, Quds Press has reported. Qasim told the local media that he has been accused of insulting senior PA officials, imparting false news that undermines the dignity of the state, criticising the authority, causing chaos and inciting sectarian conflicts.

The professor at Al-Najah University explained that the head of the court delayed the hearing for several hours to see if the witnesses for the public prosecutor would arrive. “They did not turn up,” he added, “so the case was adjourned until 31 January.”

Qasim denies all of the accusations against him, stressing that the TV interview at the heart of the allegations was related to an evaluation of the general political situation in Palestine. The Palestinian Authority detained him for five days in February after he was interviewed by Al-Quds TV. He was then released on bail having pledged to attend the court hearings.

In the interview, Fatah accused him of calling for the execution of PA President Mahmoud Abbas and the heads of the PA security services. His remarks, claimed Fatah, were “a call for destroying the basis of the PA and the foundations of the Palestinian state.”

“I did not call for anyone to be killed,” Qasim insisted.