EU condemns Palestinian Authority arrest of human rights defenders

The European Union Representative has condemned the Palestinian Authority’s arrest of at least 28 human rights defenders over participating in peaceful protest against PA’s killing of Nizar Banat last June.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the EU said that the PA’s violence against peaceful human rights defenders, activists and protesters is unacceptable.

“The EU and like-minded missions call on the Palestinian Authority to swiftly conclude the investigation of the death of Nizar Banat in a fully transparent manner, and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” the EU said in the statement.

It added, “These events, as well as reports of ill-treatment, are of concern and take place against the backdrop of reports of an increase in apparently politically motivated arrests by the Palestinian Authority over the past few months.”

“The EU and like-minded missions firmly expect the Palestinian Authority to meet the standards of the International Human Rights conventions to which they have acceded, including on freedom of expression, as well as freedom of association and assembly.”

Amnesty International has also condemned the PA’s arrest of the peaceful protesters, saying the “Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank have doubled down on their campaign of repression against peaceful protesters over the weekend.”

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

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.