PA faces Palestinian protest against political detentions

Dozens of Palestinians, including the families of detainees held by the Palestinian Authority, protested on Monday against the political detention of activists, students and former prisoners. The protesters specifically condemned the political detention of the seven Birzeit University students who were kidnapped and detained by the PA security services.

“The PA security services attacked a protest organised on Sunday against political detention,” explained the spokeswoman for the prisoners’ families, Asmaa Hreesh. “They detained seven students from Birzeit University.” She insisted that “political detention is a crime”, not least because the PA security services “violently and brutally attack Palestinians during their detention.”

The spokeswoman cited the case of student Qassam Hamayel, who has been held by the PA for five months and has now been on hunger strike for 36 days. “His weight is down to just 45kgs maximum.”

The head of the Student Council at Birzeit University, Yahya Al-Qaroot, called for the university to support its students and stand up for their rights and freedoms. In response, reported Al Resalah, the PA detained the secretary of the Student Council, Mahmoud Nakhla, and Islamic Bloc representatives in the university Usama Abu Eid and Ibrahim Bany Oudeh. After a protest in Ramallah, the PA security services detained more members of the council, named as Abdul Ghani Fares, Hatem Hamdan, Amro Al-Taweel and Obaida Qatoosa.

The PA continues to hold more than 40 Palestinians on political grounds, including five who have been in prison for more than 150 days. Four of the prisoners, including Hamayel, are on hunger strike.

READ: PA continues detention of Palestinians to appease Israel