Former leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh movement, resumed his hunger strike at a Palestinian prison after the court refused, Tuesday, to release him.Zobeidi was arrested by the Palestinian security forces four months ago, and never faced charges since then.
During the court session, Zobeidi said that he will not eat or drink anything, and will not even speak until he is released. His statements came after the court granted the prosecution 19 more days to submit its case against him.
It is worth mentioning that Zobeidi went on hunger strike that partially ended when delegates representing Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, informed him that he will be release within five days. But the court’s decision pushed him to resume his strike.
Zobeidi was taken prisoner on May 13 and never faced charges as the prosecution kept asking for more time.
He used to be the leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Jenin, and was one of many fighters of the Fateh movement who were “pardoned” by Israel. He, along with several others, co-established the Freedom Theater in Jenin refugee camp in 2006.
The Maan News Agency reported that after the court decided to remand Zobeidi for 19 more days, several supporters attending the court session started chanting “shame on you”.
Zobeidi’s lawyer, Farid Hawwash, stated that the court’s decision is illegitimate as it exceeds the time-frame that the Palestinian Law allows for detaining residents without charges.
It is worth mentioning that Israeli-Palestinian director, Juliano Mer-Khamis, founder of the Freedom Theater, was shot and killed by a gunman, on April 4th 2011, as he was leaving the Freedom Theater.
Mer-Khamis is the son of a Palestinian father from Nazareth and a Jewish Israeli mother.
The P.A. apprehended several suspects, including former fighters of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, but released them, including a main suspect who was exonerated following DNA testing.
