OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PIC)– The Israeli court of appeals has decided to extend the administrative detention of Jamal Al-Tawil the chairman of El-Bireh municipality for six months and rescinded a primary court decision to release him on 5/3/2009.
Jawad Bulus Tawil’s lawyer described the ruling on Thursday as a clear attempt to weaken the morale of Tawil and his family. He noted that Tawil had served three years in jail then around 30 months under administrative custody without trial or charge.
He recalled that the Israeli military court in Ofer army camp sentenced Tawil to three years and a financial fine on 19/1/2003 which he served them all but on the day on which he was supposed to be freed the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) held him under administrative detention for six months at the pretext that his release would pose dangers on the Israeli public!
Tawil was arrested on 16/4/2002 and was charged with membership in Hamas movement extending services to it and assuming a post in the movement in addition to illegal possession of two pistols.
Tawil nominated himself to the municipal elections while behind bars and won majority of votes on 15/12/2005.
The IOA also extended the detention of Sheikh Bassam Al-Saadi one of the Islamic Jihad leaders in Jenin for the third consecutive time only one week after the military court also extended the detention of his wife Nawal Al-Saadi.
Saadi’s lawyer said that on the last day of Saadi’s previous 4-month detention period the prison authority handed him an intelligence decision to renew his detention for four more months at the pretext of having a secret file against him.
The lawyer described the detention as “illegal” and was meant to retain Sheikh Saadi in jail for the longest possible period pointing to the fact that the IOA refused to release Saadi after serving a five-year prison term eight months ago and decided to keep him in administrative detention.
