Palestinian human rights lawyer arrested by Palestinian Authority

Mohannad Karajah, a Palestinian human rights lawyer in the occupied West Bank, appears to have been arrested by the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces after being the target of what rights groups have called a smear campaign. 

Video posted to Palestinian Telegram channels on Wednesday shows a 9-minute video of Karajah saying that if this clip is made public, it means he has been taken by the PA, and that he will immediately begin a hunger strike while in custody. 

On Tuesday, 7amleh - The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, said in a statement that it "expresses deep concern over the ongoing smear campaign targeting Palestinian human rights defender and attorney Mohannad Karajah, head of the Lawyers for Justice group," and that "independent fact-checking organizations, including Tahaqaq, Kashif, and Tayaqqan, have confirmed that... the content [was] falsified. This malicious act aims to discredit Karajah’s reputation and undermine his critical work defending activists and political detainees". 

Part of that content was a Facebook post alleged to have come from Karajah, demanding that executions by Hamas of suspected enemy collaborators in Gaza stop being filmed. 

In the video made public on Wednesday, Karajah denies all such social media posts. 

"This incident may reflect a broader pattern of politically motivated targeting aimed at silencing voices that seek accountability and justice," 7amleh wrote.

"We call on the Palestinian Authority to ensure Karajah’s safety, end the harassment of human rights defenders, and uphold its obligations to protect freedom of expression and association in line with international human rights standards".