PA police arrest lawyer, three activist for planned sit-in amid Nizar Banat protests

Palestinian police arrested a lawyer and three activists Sunday morning in the West Bank amid ongoing protests against the Palestinian Authority over the death of activist Nizar Banat.

Muhannad Karajah, the head of the Lawyers for Justice group and a lawyer for the Banat family, was arrested in front of the Ramallah Court Building. He was detained alongside activists Jihad Abdo, Salem Qatash and Izzeddine Zaoul.

The arrests took place before a scheduled sit-in outside the court, in protest over the arrest of activist Ghassan Al-Saadi and Muhammad Fararja, both arrested by Palestinian security services on Saturday evening.

Journalists who were at the scene to cover the sit-in were told to leave the premises within minutes by the Palestinian authorities.

Daoud Darawi, a member of the Bar Association, said the syndicate will escalate if Karajah is not released from detention. Karajah was detained without a proper arrest warrant, according to Darawi.

A member of the Lawyers for Justice group told The New Arab’s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that Karajah was at the court to follow up on the cases of Al-Saadi – arrested Saturday – and journalist Alaa Al-Rimawi, who was reportedly summoned for interrogation following a complaint submitted by the Palestinian ministry of endowments and religious affairs.

Hundreds of Palestinians in recent days have demanded the resignation of Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), after last 24 June death of Banat while in custody.

These protests have been violently suppressed by PA security forces and plainclothes officers.

Banat, 43, had registered as a candidate in Palestinian parliamentary elections that were set for May, until Abbas postponed them indefinitely.