Days of Palestine – Jerusalem

The so-called Zionist “magistrate’s court” today, Tuesday, extended the detention of Sheikh Kamal Al-Khatib, head of the Freedoms Committee, which is part of the Higher Follow-up Committee for Arabs inside the Palestinian territories, until the end of the judicial procedures.

The defence team of Sheikh Al-Khatib considered this decision, as a “judicial precedent.”

Lawyer Omar Khamaiseh, Sheikh Al-Khatib’s lawyer, told reporters after the court session, “We are in front of a judicial precedent. We are used to being released in such files, and as much as the courts were strict in terms of release.”

He added, “We are surprised that the judge today issued a political decision because the trial from the beginning is political.”

He continued: “Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib is in very high spirits and is not afraid of such a decision, and it was expected that there would be malicious dealings from the judge.”

Lawyer Khamaiseh referred to the defence team’s intention to petition against the decision to the Israeli District Court.

He said: “We will study the reasons for the decision, and we will appeal it as soon as possible before the Central Court, and we are aware that such files reach the Supreme Court, with the importance of the so-called space for the expression of opinion, if there is still space for opinion when you are an Arab Palestinian.”

Israeli occupation police arrested Sheikh Al-Khatib from his home in the village of Kafr Kanna last month, and later, charged him with belonging to a banned organization, the Islamic Movement, and publishing posts claiming to support what it calls violence, while Sheikh Al-Khatib denied the accusations against him.