Palestinian lawyer ‘will appeal detention of Jerusalem governor’

Palestinian lawyer Rami Othman has announced that he will appeal the detention of Palestine’s Jerusalem governor Adnan Gheith to the Jerusalem District Court.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

26 November, 2018

Adnan Gheith was arrested again this weekend [Twitter]

A Palestinian lawyer announced that he will appeal after Israeli authorities decided to extended the detention of Palestine's Jerusalem governor until Thursday.

Lawyer Rami Othman said an appeal against the Israeli authorities' decision to extend governor Adnan Ghaith's detention will be submitted at the Jerusalem District Court on Monday morning.

Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld announced on Sunday that Gheith was taken from his home in occupied east Jerusalem without providing further details.

He was taken in an overnight operation from his neighbourhood Silwan.

Israeli forces refused to give a reason for the arrest other than saying he is being detained for money issues.

On 20 October, Gheith was detained for two days of questioning before being released, with Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency saying it was over "illegal activity by the (Palestinian Authority) in Jerusalem".

He was also taken for questioning a number of times in recent weeks and his office was raided on 4 November.

Israeli media have reported that authorities have been investigating the governor following the PA's arrest of a man in October accused of being involved in selling property in east Jerusalem to a Jewish buyer.

Such sales are considered treasonous among Palestinians concerned with Israeli settlers buying property in east Jerusalem.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem in the 1967 War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

It considers the entire city its capital, while the Palestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

Palestinian Authority activities are barred from Jerusalem by Israel.

As a result, the PA has a minister for Jerusalem affairs and a Jerusalem governor located in al-Ram, just on the other side of Israel's separation wall from Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank.