Palestinian court grants bail to prominent activist

HEBRON: A Palestinian court has released on bail a prominent activist arrested after he criticized president Mahmoud Abbas’s administration.

Issa Amro was detained by Palestinian security forces on Monday in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on accusations including causing “strife,” human rights activists said.

His lawyer, Muhannad Karaja, said he has also been accused of creating websites that “aim to undermine the state’s security,” in violation of a new Palestinian law on cybercrime.

Rights groups have criticized the law, saying it could be used to target critics of the Palestinian leadership.

“We asked for Issa to be released on bail,” Karaja said. “The prosecution and the court agreed on this in exchange for a deposit of 1,000 Jordanian dinars ($1,400).”

“Issa will appear later before the court regarding this case and all the charges against him,” he said.

The hearing was held in secret, with journalists barred from the courtroom. Karaja said he did not know when the next hearing would be held.

Dozens of activists protested outside prosecutors’ offices on Sunday over Amro’s detention, some with tape over their mouths.

Afer his release, Amro went to the offices of his Youth Against Settlements organization, where he was warmly greeted by fellow activists and spoke out against the law.