Amnesty condemns Palestinian Authority arrest of peaceful protesters

London (QNN)- Amnesty International has condemned Palestinian Authority arrest of at least 28 Palestinian protesters over participating in peaceful protest against PA’s killing of Nizar Banat last June.

“Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank have doubled down on their campaign of repression against peaceful protesters over the weekend, arresting at least 28 people including human rights defenders. At least 8 people remain in detention, some have gone on hunger strike,” Amnesty said in a statement on Monday.

Amnesty has called the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “to put an end to the repression” ordering to immediately and unconditionally release of “all those detained solely for peacefully protesting and expressing their opinions and to drop all related charges.”

Amnesty said the “Palestinian authorities must uphold their obligations under int’l human rights law.”

“EU member states, US, and the UK must act urgently and halt security assistance/military aid for Palestinian security forces/police until accountability and respect for human rights is ensured,” it added.

Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank have doubled down on their campaign of repression against peaceful protesters over the weekend, arresting at least 28 people including human rights defenders.
At least 8 people remain in detention, some have gone on hunger strike.

— Amnesty International (@amnesty) August 23, 2021

During the past two days, at least 28 Palestinians, most of them intellectuals, activists and former prisoners in Israeli detentions, were arrested by the PA’s forces following their participation in a protest in al-Manara Square in central Ramallah against the killing of Nizar Banat, an outspoken critic of the PA who had intended to run in parliamentary elections before they were cancelled earlier this year.

The protestors called to conduct a comprehensive investigation into what happened and to ensure that those responsible for Banat’s death were punished.

Among those who were arrested by the PA forces, is Maher Al-Akhras, who was released last November from the Israeli jails after entering a hunger strike for 103 days.

Al-Akhras was brutally assaulted by the PA forces during his arrest yesterday as he was rushed to the hospital to get medical treatment.

Al-Akhras said after being released yesterday that the PA’s policeman said “that we were spies and that they will get rid of us all!”

According to the testimonies of one of those who was released, the PA holds those it arrests in very inhumane conditions.

Astrophysicist Imad Barghouthi, who worked for Nasa, added that he was accused of insulting the PA’s President, Mahmoud Abbas, and attacking the policemen although he has not even attended the protest because it was banned before it got started.

Earlier in June, Banat was killed by the PA forces as his health deteriorated when a force of the security services went to arrest him from his home.

It said he was taken to a hospital where he was later announced dead, as around 25 Palestinian security forces stormed the home where Nizar was staying, blowing out doors and windows, beating Nizar with an iron bar and sprayed pepper spray in his eyes before undressing him and dragging him away to a vehicle.

Nizar Banat’s killing by Palestinian Authority forces has been met with anger on the streets and condemnation from Palestinian factions and human rights organizations.

Despite the local and international calls to bring those responsible accountable, the PA continues to delay announcing the results of the investigations into the crime. It also continues to detain those who protest demanding justice for Banat.