By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – An Israeli military court in the city of Ashkelon on Thursday extended the detention of three Palestinian women, including Lami Khater, a prominent journalist.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Society, an NGO, said in a subsequent statement that, along with Khater, the court had also extended the detention of two other women — Sonia Hamouri and Saida Badr — for eight days.
Firas al-Sabah, a lawyer for the NGO, said that Khater had faced “intimidation” by the Israeli authorities, who, he said, “had threatened to arrest people she knew if she didn’t confess to the charges against her”.
According to the lawyer, the journalist is being investigated for “suspected membership in a banned group”.
A mother of five, Khater is a Palestinian activist who has written articles for a number of major Palestinian publications.
According to Palestinian figures, more than 6,400 Palestinians are currently being held in detention facilities throughout Israel.
