The Israel Prison Service moved the detained Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qiq on Friday from Petah Tikva investigation center to Hadarim prison.
Ofer court has extended the detention of al-Qiq for 72 additional hours which ended on Thursday in a prelude to turn him to administrative detention as reported by sources quoting the journalist’s family.
Al-Qiq’s family said that their son is targeted for his solidarity with the families of martyrs and prisoners in the occupied West Bank and for his continuous participation in their protest activities.
The family added that the Israeli occupation is attempting to overshadow al-Qiq’s experience in the hunger strike that he underwent in his previous detention emphasizing that it always seeks to “silence any free voice that defends the oppressed and stands by their side”.
Al-Qiq revealed to his lawyer his intention to start an open hunger strike once he is turned to administrative detention.
For its part the Palestinian Media Assembly denounced extending the detention of journalist al-Qiq for 8 days under the pretext of completing interrogation procedures.
The Palestinian assembly said in a statement on Friday that extending the detention of Mohammed al-Qiq for the third time in a row is a thinly veiled attempt by the Israeli occupation authorities to fabricate charges against him and remove him from the public arena.
The Assembly stressed that pursuing the Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation contradicts the international conventions and treaties which guarantee individuals’ freedom of opinion and expression.
It called for concerted efforts to provide support and protection for journalists and asked the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters without Borders organization and other media groups to assume their responsibilities put an end to the Israeli violations against journalists and immediately act to release the 23 Palestinian journalists held in Israeli jails.
The Israeli occupation forces re-arrested al-Qiq on 15th January 2017 at Beit El military checkpoint to the north of al-Bireh city after he was held with a number of relatives of Palestinian martyrs who had attended a protest in Bethlehem asking for returning withheld bodies of Palestinian martyrs.
The Israeli forces previously released al-Qiq who is from Doura town to the south of al-Khalil city on 19th May 2016 after he clinched a deal following a 94-day hunger strike in protest at his administrative detention.
