Ofer court delays decision on prisoner's appeal

The Israeli military court at Ofer detention center near Ramallah on Tuesday delayed delivering a judgment on an appeal by jailed Fatah lawmaker Hussam Khader. The prisoner’s lawyer Jawad Boulos, who head the legal unit at the Palestinian prisoner’s society, said the court would deliver a decision after the judges examined secret evidence which the prosecution submitted. Hussam Khader was given an opportunity to speak before the judges and he asserted that he was being detained for no reason and highlighted that he “used to deliver speeches and give comments publicly on media outlets.” Boulos said the court had previously approved 3 months of administrative detention for Khader out of 6 months suggested earlier. Hussam Khader, who is also chairman of the Committee for the Defense of Palestinian Refugee Rights and a known champion of reconciliation with Hamas, was detained by Israeli forces on June 2. Khader has been detained by Israeli forces on 25 occasions and spent nine years in Israeli prison.