Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- The Israeli judiciary was expected to issue a ruling pertaining to the Saudi detainee held in Israel, Abdul Rahman al Atwi, however the judges at the Tel Aviv District Court decided to postpone consideration of the request until 14 October of this year.
Detained at Israel’s Ramleh prison, al Atwi, 36, was arrested after he crossed the Jordanian border in 2005, allegedly to take part in an armed attack against an Israeli target.
The court session, which was attended by al Atwi’s defense and all the parties related to the case only lasted 10 minutes before the adjournment was announced.
During the short duration of the trial, Abdul Rahman looked well [he had gone on hunger strike last April and his health had severely deteriorated] and was clean shaven. There was an intense Arab media presence during the session compelling Abdul Rahman to cover his face.
The Israeli court informed al Atwi’s defense [lawyer Kateb al Shammari] that it will defer on making a decision regarding the case, as it will be pending the outcome of the forthcoming meeting between al Atwi and a top security official. Buthayna Duqmaq, prominent lawyer at the Mandela Institute for Human Rights and Political Prisoners, said that she was informed by the Israeli judiciary that the United Nations (UN) is dispatching a Dutch security official to meet with the Saudi detainee.
In a telephone interview conducted by Asharq Al-Awsat shortly after the court adjournment, Duqmaq said that the impending meeting with the UN official is set for 11 September, according to the judge at the Tel Aviv District Court. She added that al Atwi had, “remained completely silent during the hearing.”
The rejected petition that was submitted to the court included the demand to release al Atwi and grant him permission to live in either the West Bank or the Gaza Strip after previously having been rejected by five states from entering.
Yesterday, according to Duqmaq, the Israeli authorities rejected part of the request that the detainee be granted entry into Palestinian territory based upon the belief that al Atwi may infiltrate into Israeli territory again.
The Israeli investigative authorities allege that al Atwi refuses to cooperate, and furthermore claim to have documents to prove his lack of cooperation with the UN.