At today’s court hearing Zakaria Zubeidi’s release was yet again postponed. 114 days have passed and Zakaria will remain imprisoned by the Palestinian Authority for at least another week. No charges or accusations have been brought forward. The incarceration has been proven to be illegal on numerous accounts.
At this latest court hearing the prosecution pleaded for an extension of interrogations for another 45 days, based on the claim that Zakaria is a danger to public security if released. The judge questioned the prosecution’s motives in light of the fact that Zakaria was released for four days during the Eid holiday. The judge even asked the prosecution if there are two different legal systems in application.
Zakaria Zubeidi’s brother attended the court hearing and quoted Zakaria as saying he has had enough of the lies and false claims against him. Zakaria announced that he would engage in a hunger strike “to death” if this farce continued. The judge however pleaded that Zakaria postpone his hunger strike for another week in order for the judge to have time to scrutinize the case. After a conversation with his lawyer, Farid Hawash, Zakaria accepted this arrangement.
The Freedom Theatre has followed the case very closely alongside Zakaria’s lawyer, organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Zakaria’s many friends around the world. It is obvious that this case has very little to do with rule of law, it rather resembles the legal procedures one could find in neighbouring Arab countries or even the military laws that Israel applies on the occupied Palestinian people.
Read the report by Human Rights Watch here: hrw.org/news/2012/07/27/israelpalestinian-authority-theater-group-hit-both-sides
For more information contact the Freedom Theatre: info@thefreedomtheatre.org
