Palestinian security services escalate political arrests in West Bank

The Palestinian Authority’s security services in the occupied West Bank have escalated their political arrests during the holy month of Ramadan, targeting students, former political detainees, activists and national symbols.

Since the beginning of Ramadan a week ago, the Palestinian security services have arrested 14 citizens, including six people who were arrested on Monday evening, namely Abdul Qadir Qatnani, a student at An-Najah University, Walid Asida and Islam Al-Wardian – both former detainees – as well as Wael Taher Dweik, Bashar Khuwaira and Khalil Swalha.

They arrested Qatnani after storming his house in Nablus. While Asida was arrested from his shop in the village of Tel, near Nablus.

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In the southern occupied West Bank, the security services arrested Al-Wardian from Bethlehem a few minutes before the time for iftar – break fast, while the intelligence services arrested Dweik

in Hebron as he left Taraweeh prayers.

According to the latest data, the number of political detainees in the PA’s prisons rose to more than 36.

For its part, the Committee of Families of Political Detainees in the West Bank recorded 247 political violations during February, including arrests, summons, raids, repression and assaults on rights and freedoms.

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