Naharnet - Amnesty International to Israel : Stop Harassing Activist Held on Suspicion of Spying for Hizbullah, May 13, 2010

Amnesty to Israel: Stop 'Harassing' Activist Held on Suspicion of Spying for Hizbullah
Amnesty International has urged Israeli authorities to end what it called "harassment" of an Arab human rights activist held on suspicion of spying for Hizbullah.
The non-governmental organization said Ameer Makhoul, an Arab citizen of Israel, has been denied legal advice while in custody.
"His arrest and continued detention smacks of pure harassment, designed to hinder his human rights work," an Amnesty statement said. "If this is the case, we would regard him as a prisoner of conscience (and) call for his immediate and unconditional release."
Makhoul was arrested last week by police and Shin Bet agents in a raid on his home in the northern port city of Haifa.
Another Israeli Arab man, Omar Sayeed, also accused of spying for Hizbullah, was arrested on April 24 but news of the two cases was blacked out by a court order that was lifted only on Monday.
Makhoul, whose brother Issa is a former Israeli Arab lawmaker, heads Ittijah (the Union of Arab Community-Based Associations), a group that fights discrimination against Israeli Arabs.
"Ameer Makhoul is a key human rights defender, well-known for his civil society activism on behalf of the Palestinian citizens of Israel," said the statement from London-based Amnesty.
Israel's 1.3 million Arab citizens are Palestinians who remained in the Jewish state after the 1948 Middle East war that followed its creation and their descendants.(AFP-Naharnet)


Beirut, Updated 13 May 10, 09:08


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