B'Tselem Field Worker Arrested by Palestinian Authority in Gaza. B'Tselem Demands He Be Allowed to Meet with Lawyer and B'Tselem Representatives

Khaidar Ghanem, 39, married and father of two, was arrested last Wednesday by Palestinian Preventative Security in Gaza and is now being interrogated at a facility in the city.

Ghanem, a resident of Rafah, has been a B'Tselem field worker for ten months. Ghanem collects testimonies regarding human rights violations in the Rafah area.

B'Tselem demands that the Palestinian Authority immediately allow Ghanem to meet with his lawyer, Attorney Raji Sourani, director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights and with representatives from B'Tselem. B'Tselem emphasizes that like all detaiees, Ghanem is entitled to an interrogation free from any coercion, in accordance with international law, and that he be considered innocent, until proven otherwise in a fair trial.

B'Tselem supports Ghanem's family and will stand by its side until his release.