A Palestinian cameraman for German broadcaster ARD said he has been freed by the violent Islamic Hamas
movement after being held without contact with his family or lawyers for five days in the Gaza Strip.
Sawah Abu Seif, 42, told The Associated Press he was released in the early hours of Thursday but refused to say whether he had been abused by his captors. “I'm fine, I'm excellent and I'm at home," he said.
Masked Hamas gunmen took Abu Seif from his Gaza home during a mass weekend roundup of alleged activists of the rival Fatah movement. Hamas blamed Fatah for an explosion earlier in Gaza City that killed five Hamas members and a six-year old girl.
ARD's regional bureau chief, Richard C. Schneider, said Abu Seif had no party affiliation.
Earlier this week, two human rights groups accused Hamas and Fatah of the widespread torture of political opponents.
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