Palestine: Husband of Palestinian female human rights activist held due to wife's political writings

Alkarama sent the case of Hazem Khader Al-Fakhouri, husband of human rights activist Lama Abdul Matalab Khater, to the United Nations special procedures, to further increase call for the West Bank intelligence services to release Hazem Al-Fakhouri's from their custody.

The Palestinian intelligence apparatus began targeting Lama Khater in July 2009, until the General Intelligence services summoned her to their headquarters in Hebron on 27 July 2009. Although she refused the request, her husband was already detained in an Israeli jail, where he remained from 13 February 2008 until his release in 26 November 2009.

Lama Khater was again summoned for questioning by the General Intelligence Services on 12 December 2009, regarding articles she published in newspapers and on websites criticising the political authorities in the West Bank.

On 9 May 2010, the intelligence services summoned Hazem Al-Fakhouri and later detained him. He was questioned about his wife's activities and her role in the publishing of the articles. Hazem Al-Fakhouri was then presented before a military prosecutor and charged with "opposing the overall political of the state authority". He is currently being held without any legal justification.

Despite various efforts made by human rights organizations in Palestine for Hazem Al-Fakhouri's release, he remains arbitrarily detained to this day. The authorities refuse to release him until they receive a statement from Lama Abdul Matalab Khater admitting to her activities, which she has already refused to do.

For more information or an interview, please contact media@alkarama.org (Dir: +41 22 734 1008).