Israel places Jerusalem lawmaker under administrative detention

An Israeli court yesterday placed a Palestinian parliamentarian under administrative detention “without charge or trial”, Quds Press reported.

Ahmed Attoun, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council from Jerusalem, was arrested by on 12 April after Israeli forces stormed and searched his home in the city of Al-Bireh in Ramallah.

Israeli news website Arutz Sheva reported that Attoun’s arrest was due to his alleged “Hamas activities”.

Read: Israel braces for Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike

Attoun, who is currently held in Israel’s Megiddo prison, is banned by Israel from entering his home city Jerusalem.

His wife told Quds Press that an Israeli court has ordered his administrative detention for four months, which are subject to renewal.

#PalPrisoners

This is not the first time Israeli authorities have arrested Attoun. The lawmaker has spent a total of 16 years in Israeli jails including five years after he became a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006.

Attoun’s arrest last week brings the number of Palestinian lawmakers in Israeli prisons to 13, including Marwan Barghouthi and Ahmed Saadat. Barghouthi, a prominent Fatah member, is serving five life sentences. Saadat is serving a 30-year term.

“democracy”
Israel’s Administrative Detention, being detained w/o charge or trial, on “secret evidence” that your Attorney nor u can see pic.twitter.com/eOCZY1PJtk

— Abbs Winston (@AbbsWinston) 18 April 2017