Palestinian Authority security forces raided the homes of relatives of Palestinian activist Nizar Banat, who died while in the custody of the security services. The raid on Tuesday morning is the third time that security forces have entered the Banat family home in the last two weeks, The New Arab news website reported.
Fourteen PA security officers appeared in court on September 27, and were charged in his death. They all pleaded not guilty. No senior officers were charged.
Ghassan Banat, brother of Nizar, told The New Arab that the raids are an attempt to pressure the family to drop the case. A cousin, Hussein Banat, was arrested on the day of the court hearing. The family believes he was arrested because he was an eyewitness to Nizar Banat’s arrest and his beating at the hands of the officers. He testified in court against the officers.
Banat was arrested in late June in Hebron in the West Bank, Hs family members told media outlets that he was severely beaten during the arrest and was dragged away screaming. The Hebron governorate said in a statement that Banat’s “health deteriorated” following his arrest. Banat, 43, died in a hospital in the West Bank.