The Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces arrested journalist Tariq Youssef Al-Sarkji on Sunday evening in Nablus for unknown reasons.
Somaya Jawabra, Tariq’s wife, said that her husband was detained from his home at about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday after four members of PA forces in civilian clothes raided the house and confiscated his cell phone without a search or arrest warrant.
“The security forces tried to convince Tariq that he was summoned for investigation, but they later admitted that he was arrested and prevented him from changing his clothes. However, he was able to take his medications, as he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, and gout,” the wife added.
The detention of Tariq confirms the PA policy of disrupting journalists’ work in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Palestinian Basic Law, and other international agreements.
The Palestinian security forces in the West Bank have escalated their political arrests against citizens and university students, putting their educational life in danger.
These arrests constitute a blatant violation of human rights and the basic principles of justice and dignity, which requires an international intervention to stop the PA violations and release all political detainees immediately and unconditionally.
