Remand hearing
צילום: איי פי
Court extends remand of 5 Hamas detainees
During remand hearing of five Palestinian lawmakers from Hamas, captured in IDF arrest raid last week, attorney says 'arrest is slap in face of whole Palestinian nation, of democratic process and of those who encouraged it. Lawyer charges prisoners being held in inhuman conditions
The Military Court at the Ofer camp extended by five days the remand of five senior Hamas members who were captured last week during an IDF arrest raid in the West Bank and Jerusalem, in response to the kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit and continued attacks against Israel. Additional prisoners will be brought for remand hearings in the upcoming days.
The five Hamas members, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Nayef Al Rajoub plus four Palestinian parliament members – Anwar Zboun, Muhamad Altal, Qalil Ravai, and Basem Zaarur - were arrested on the grounds of their membership in a terrorist organization.
Attorney Jawad Boulus, who is representing a number of the detained Hamas members, said during the hearing that his clients did not recognize the authority of the court. “They do not recognize Israel’s authority or the security establishment’s right to arrest them, especially not in the manner in which they were arrested. These are the elected leaders of the Palestinian people.”
“They are parliament members who were chosen in democratic elections and received the support, popularity and agreement of the whole world, including Israel. They are the choice and will of the Palestinian people.
'Slap in the face'
"It is unacceptable that a process (democratic elections) that was encouraged at its starting point, is not encouraged at its outcome. The arrest is a slap in the face to the whole of the Palestinian nation and to all those who supported the elections that were carried our as they were.”
According to Attorney Boulus, the detained Hamas members were being held under difficult conditions. “They are still wearing the clothes they were arrested in, they haven’t been able to change, they have no link to the outside world, and they are being held in an isolated ward that is unfit for human beings. They are not being given newspapers or allowed to listen to the radio – except for one Israeli station. The quality and quantity of food they are getting is most awful. They are requesting their rights as captive prisoners,” he said.
Deputy president of the court, Major Ronen Atzmon, rejected Boulus’ claims regarding the court’s lack of authority, saying, “There is no doubt the court has the authority to judge a resident of the area who committed a crime in the area.”
