Activist Dies in Palestinian Authority’s Custody, Inciting Widespread Outrage

JERUSALEM – The death of a popular activist in custody by the Palestinian Authority on Thursday enraged Palestinians across the West Bank, sparked a major protest in Ramallah and highlighted recent crackdowns against the authorities’ opponents.

Activist Nizar Banat, 42, was known for his fierce online criticism of the Palestinian government, which has limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank. His family say he was fatally beaten by Palestinian security forces.

The agency did not provide full details of the incidents, but said his health “deteriorated” during his arrest and promised an investigation.

A committee of inquiry will receive all the information it needs to “enable its work” and “expedite the process of uncovering the truth,” said Mohammed Shtayyeh, the agency’s prime minister.

The agency, heavily criticized for canceling national elections and reviving the popularity of its rival Hamas, recently arrested dozens of its opponents in the occupied West Bank.

The death of Mr Banat, who came during that push, has created a new crisis for the agency, whose reputation has slumped in recent months as it canceled the first parliamentary and presidential elections in 15 years and watched Hamas gain popularity decreased last month when it rocketed Israel. Mr Banat was a candidate in these parliamentary elections.

His death highlighted the growing gap between senior Palestinian officials – many of whom live in expensive homes, benefit from special Israeli permits, and often show undisputed allegiance to the agency’s president, Mahmoud Abbas – and the wider Palestinian public, who bears the brunt of the Israelis carries cast.

Palestinians across the West Bank have increasingly expressed frustration with their government’s repressive and authoritarian tactics aimed at suppressing freedom of expression.

“It is clear that we live under a corrupt system that wages war against anyone who criticizes it,” said Ammar Banat, 27, a cousin of Nizar Banat. “Suffice it to say that we are not only living under Israeli but also under Palestinian occupation.”

Nizar Banat was a house painter but had followers online for his snappy comments, including criticism of the agency’s relations with Israel. From his home in Dura, a village south of Hebron in the West Bank, he published comments that few would dare to make, but which were often well received by the general public.

Ammar Banat and other family members said a large contingent of security officers broke into a house where Mr. Banat was in central Hebron early Thursday. He lived there, in an Israel-controlled part of the city, for much of the last seven weeks after his home in Dura was shot, his cousin said.

Relatives said the Palestinian forces brutally beat him, doused him with pepper spray, insulted him and dragged him to the ground.

Hours later, after the family called security friends to check on Mr. Banat’s condition and look for him in local hospitals, the family learned that he was dead, Ammar Banat said. Nizar Banat was in “excellent heath,” added his cousin.

The Palestinian Authority has not published a detailed report on the cause of Mr Banat’s death and has declined to answer questions.

On Thursday evening, Ammar Al-Dwaik, director of the Independent Commission on Human Rights, told a press conference that two doctors, during an autopsy, described it as an “unnatural death,” with bruises and abrasions on many parts of his body, including his head and neck.

Jibrin al-Bakri, the Palestinian governor of the Hebron area, said in a brief statement that Mr. Banat’s health “deteriorated” during his arrest. He said that Mr. Banat was immediately taken to a hospital where the doctors found that he was dead.

The US State Department dealt with Mr Banat’s death on Thursday evening. “We are deeply concerned about the death of Palestinian activist Nizar Banat and the information that has been reported about the circumstances surrounding his death,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. He called for a “thorough and transparent investigation” and said the United States had “serious concerns about the Palestinian Authority’s restrictions on Palestinian freedom of expression and harassment of activists and civil society organizations”.

Mr. Banat often posted videos on his Facebook page criticizing the administration and policies of officials like Mr. Shtayyeh.

This week he attacked the Palestinian Authority for having reached an agreement with Israel to purchase vaccines, some of which were nearing their expiration dates. The agency eventually rejected the deal.

In late April, he beat up Mr Abbas for declaring that he would only allow parliamentary and presidential elections if Israel agreed to vote in East Jerusalem.

“You want to punish Israel by stealing elections from the Palestinian people,” said Banat. “What kind of stupidity is that?”

In addition to criticizing the agency, Mr Banat would target Israel; with Mohammed Dahlan, an exiled rival of Mr. Abbas; and the LGBT community.

Mr Banat’s death came amid a widespread arrest campaign by the agency in which at least 50 people were arrested for their political activities, said Muhannad Karaja, director of the legal aid group of lawyers for justice.

The agency tried to suppress Palestinian critics, Karaja said, because it felt particularly “weak” after its decision to cancel the elections and “marginalized” by the recent surge in popularity of Hamas.

Some have estimated the number of detainees to be significantly higher. Dimitri Diliani, a Fatah member allied with Mr Dahlan, said the agency had arrested 170 activists linked to Mr Dahlan since the end of May when Foreign Minister Antony J. Blinken visited Ramallah.

“Blinken’s visit boosted an isolated president,” said Mr Diliani, referring to Mr Abbas. “Blinken’s visit made them feel strong enough to commit atrocities.”

During the protest on Thursday afternoon in Ramallah, security forces blocked some streets in the city, tried to disperse crowds with tear gas and beat at least one man with wooden clubs. People shouted for the “fall of the regime” and said: “Out, out, Abbas”.

Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, condemned the so-called “assassination” of Mr. Banat, saying it was an “organized and planned crime affecting the intentions and conduct of Abbas’ authority and his security services against ours People and the opposition reflects ”. Activists. “

Ammar Banat said his cousin recently received a series of threats from Fatah and Palestinian Authority security officials in the Hebron area.

“You really wanted to turn it off,” he said. “I have no doubt they wanted to kill him.”

Isabel Kershner contributed to the reporting.