Palestinians Detain Leading Rights Activist Again

The Palestinians’ leading human rights activist, jailed for the second time in less than a month by Yasser Arafat’s police, apparently is accused of possessing illegal drugs and, the Palestinian prosecutor general said Tuesday, may face criminal charges.

Human rights activists and Dr. Eyad Sarraj’s lawyer called the idea that he would have illegal drugs “absurd” and said the prosecutor general was trying to slander him.

Sarraj, a psychiatrist at the Gaza Community Mental Health Program and head of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens’ Rights, has been an outspoken critic of Arafat’s authoritarian style of government and harsh police practices, including arbitrary arrests, torture of prisoners and summary trials. His arrest at his home in Gaza City on Sunday night was his third detention since December.

Prosecutor General Khaled Kidra insisted in a telephone interview that Sarraj’s arrest “has nothing to do with his ideas or work in human rights . . . or freedom of expression,” although Palestinian media reported that police had confiscated files, videos and cassettes during a search of the doctor’s office. Police also locked Sarraj’s private office and sealed it with a stamp that said: the General Palestinian Security.

Sarraj was detained for nine days in May after a New York Times columnist quoted him as saying that the Palestinian Authority was “corrupt, dictatorial and oppressive.” He added that Palestinians were fearful, and, “I say this with sadness, but during the Israeli occupation I was 100 times freer.” At the time, Kidra said this was “slander and distortion.”

Sarraj was released on bail after strong international pressure and subsequently wrote a letter to Arafat apologizing for any personal offense. At a news conference in Gaza on May 27, he again apologized but stood by his criticism.

It is generally believed that the Palestinian prosecutor general would not arrest someone of Sarraj’s prominence without the approval of Arafat.

Kidra said he ordered Sarraj’s arrest and a search of his office on Sunday after receiving “a report against him.” He said witnesses were present when police searched the office on Monday and discovered “illegal material.” Pressed on whether he meant drugs, Kidra said, “Something like that.”

Sarraj’s attorney, Raji Sourani, however, said he still had not been given access to Sarraj. He said he had heard that Kidra was accusing Sarraj of drug possession but had not received word directly from Kidra.

“I think that’s absurd. I am certain he has nothing to do with drugs,” Sourani said.

Bassam Eid, an activist with the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem who also has been detained in the past by Palestinian police, said that Kidra had more of a “personal problem” with Sarraj than a political one.

“Kidra is trying through illegal channels to put restraints on Sarraj and to slander him. I would not put it past Kidra to make up a drug case,” Eid said. He refused to disclose the nature of the personal conflict.

Regardless of whether charges are filed, illegal drug use would be seen as a terrible character flaw by the conservative Muslim society of Gaza, and even the suspicion of such activity could harm Sarraj’s reputation and mental health practice.

Kidra said he still had not decided whether he would continue to press the slander charges against Sarraj from last month’s arrest.

Sarraj was detained for eight hours in December.

Summer Assad of The Times’ Jerusalem Bureau contributed to this report.