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Special follow-up: Details of the arrest and death of political activist Nizar Banat

NGOs demand an immediate investigation committee and punish those responsible for the killing of activist Nizar Banat.

Jerusalem24 – The Governor of Hebron, Jibrin Al-Bakri, announced this morning the death of activist Nizar Khalil Muhammad Banat, in Hebron, after his health deteriorated after his arrest by the Palestinian security services.

In the details of what happened, Jerusalem24 contacted his cousin Ammar Banat and quoted eyewitnesses who were accompanying him as saying, “A force of 25 members of the security services stormed his house and blew up its doors in the city of Dura. He was severely beaten with batons on his head as soon as he woke up, and pepper gas was sprayed in his face, stripping him of his clothes.”

His cousin added that “while he was being taken to the arrest car, he was insulted and his family, and blood was flowing from him all the way to the car, and they took him to an unknown destination.”

He pointed out that the security services were contacted in order to find out the destination of his arrest, and they told us: “Nizar does not exist.” We found out that he was assassinated two hours after his arrest.

He added that a delegation from the family went to Alia Hospital and did not find the body, and the family, accompanied by his relatives who were with him, will hold a press conference to inform the public about the details.

from his part, the writer and researcher at the Aman Coalition Foundation confirmed. Jihad Harb stressed the need to hold accountable all the parties that contributed to the killing of Nizar Banat, and everyone who did not appreciate how to deal with the internal Palestinian situation must be held accountable and the government must submit its resignation. Adding that “the dignity of the Palestinian citizen is at stake, so everyone must be up to the responsibility in protecting it.”

In the same context, the Director General of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, Dr. Ammar Dweik, told Jerusalem24: “The body of Banat is in the ‘Abu Dees’ morgue, and the forensic doctor headed there. We have been in contact since the early morning with Nizar Banat’s family and eyewitnesses to collect information and it will be announced immediately after the autopsy is completed.”

Dweik called for the formation of a commission to investigate his death, and for an autopsy to be carried out at the Abu Kabir Institute and not by the Ministry of Health.

The European Union expressed in a tweet on their official account their deep sadness to this incident and asked for a transparent investigation.

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