On Saturday, Palestinian security forces prevented activists from organizing a protest in downtown Ramallah to demand accountability for those responsible for the death of political activist Nizar Banat, who died about two months ago shortly after being arrested by Palestinian security forces. Security forces were heavily deployed in the city center and were seen arresting several activists as they arrived just before the protest was set to start.
The Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights demanded the "immediate release of all individuals detained on Saturday by the police in Ramallah for their intention to participate in a peaceful gathering called for by several groups advocating for accountability in the Nizar Banat case." The commission stated in a press release that it is monitoring "the case of the detainees, numbering around 15 citizens, and demands that official bodies respect their right to peaceful assembly and provide protection for them."
Nizar Banat, known on social media for criticizing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the government, died about two months after being arrested at a relative's home in Hebron. Autopsy results indicated that he had suffered violence during the arrest. Activists had called on social media to gather for a protest on Saturday evening in downtown Ramallah "to demand accountability for the killers of activist Nizar Banat and to defend freedoms while rejecting political detention."
The Palestinian security forces did not issue a statement regarding the arrests or the circumstances of the detainees. Activists called for a march on Sunday evening in downtown Ramallah under the slogan "Together we continue, we will not be intimidated by detention or repression."
