The Palestinian Security Services in the West Bank have been detaining three university students for many days, as the student, Obada Judeh is on his fourth consecutive day of detention, while Hassan Tufaha is on his fifth consecutive day, both of whom are from the city of Nablus.
Meanwhile, Muhyi El-Din Al-Sharawneh, from Dura Al-Khalil, is on his sixth day of arbitrary detention.
In media statements, Khalil Assaf, head of the Palestinian independent personalities’ assembly in the West Bank, said that these arrests target activists of the Islamic bloc to prevent them from engaging in any activity, even for students.
Assaf added that these arrests came after a book fair that was organized by the Islamic bloc at the beginning of the semester, and the detainees are being investigated about their role in it.
Assaf pointed out that “it is clear that there are instructions from the political level to the security level to prevent their engagement in any activities.”
He stated that the Prosecution is pacing itself under suspicions of fabricating unrelated charges to the investigation, explaining that “while the students are being investigated about their student activities,” the Public Prosecution raises some ready-made charges against them including inciting sectarian strife, which are being used against all detainees.”
“These arrests disrupt people’s lives and education as well as the community, and gives a justification for the occupation to practice all violations against our people,” he added.
Over the past two weeks, the security services carried out a campaign of political arrests against a number of students of An-Najah University and Al-Quds Open University in Nablus, in the north of the occupied West Bank, after summoning them for an interview.
Human rights organisations had recently documented 287 violations committed against citizens at the hands of the Palestinian security services in the West Bank in August.
Representatives of the European Union had recently criticized the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank for the arrest of dozens of political activists by its security services, which were trained and equipped by the European police.
Representative of the European Union and heads of missions of the European Union in Jerusalem and Ramallah, and the heads of missions of Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement, considering the use of violence against human rights defenders, activists, and peaceful demonstrators “unacceptable”.
The statement noted that on August 21 and 22, Palestinian security forces arrested dozens of Palestinian activists in Ramallah, who were participating in protests calling for transparency in the investigation and trial of those responsible for the killing of political activist Nizar Banat on June 24, 2021.
Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) had recently called on the European Union and other countries to stop all forms of support for the Palestinian Authority, in particular for its security services.
“It is time to prosecute and hold officials in the authority accountable, starting with President Mahmoud Abbas, the Prime Minister and officials of the security services, led by Majed Faraj and Ziad Hab al-Rih,” AOHR UK added in a statement.
