28-10-2013
Occupied Ramallah- Addameer Prisoner Rights and Human Rights Association- two Palestinian Legislative Council members representing the Change and Reform bloc, Nizar Ramadan and Mohammad Bader from Hebron, were arrested early this morning by the Israel Occupying Forces (IOF).
The Documentation Unit at Addameer reported that both members were arrested during an arrest campaign that targeted more than 20 people affiliated with Hamas in Nablus and Hebron.
Ramadan’s family confirmed to Addameer that he was arrested at around 1:00am from his home in Hebron by the IOF after raiding his house and using explosives to open the doors without giving the family a chance to open them. They destroyed family possessions and confiscated computers and telephones. The family added: “The soldiers continued to destroy our property and searched the house until 3:00 AM. Then they arrested Nizar and took him to an unknown destination without showing us the arrest order.”
It should be mentioned that Ramadan’s health is in fragile condition. He had heart surgery two weeks before his arrest and also suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes. This is Ramadan’s third arrest since he became a PLC member, previously he had been held under administrative detention from March to September 2010, and then from May 2011 to July 2012.
Mohammad Bader’s health is also delicate as he suffers from prostate infection. This is his second arrest, he previously spent 16 months under administrative detention from March 2011 to August 2012.
The Documentation Unit at Addameer has confirmed others who were arrested today, which include: Adnan Abu Tabaneh (Hebron), Mos’ab Qafeisheh and Mos’ab Zughayyar, both students who are also from Hebron. Eleven students from Al-Najah Universiy in Nablus were also arrested. They are all part of the Islamic Bloc at the university and some of them are members of the student council.
Now the number of detained PLC members has increased to 15, 9 of which are held under administrative detention. They are: Marwan Barghouthi, Ahmad Sa’adat, Hasan Yousef, Mohammad Totah, Mahmoud Ramahi, Basem Za’areer, Yasser Mansour, Mohammad Tal, Hatem Qfeisheh, Ahmad Atwoun, Mohammad Jamal Natsheh, Abdel Jaber Foqaha’, Mohammad Abu Teer, Nizar Ramadan, Mohammad Bader.