On
Wednesday, 6 February, unknown assailants kidnapped the the lawyer Amani Taha
Abu Arqoub (28) from the town of Durra southwest of Hebron. The kidnapping took
place in Ramallah; and the lawyer’s fate is still unknown.
PCHR’s preliminary investigation and the statement’s of the victim’s family
indicate that the lawyer Amani Abu Arqoub left her house on Wednesday morning
and headed to the appeals court in El-Bireh for a case against the Palestinian
Development Fund. At approximately 11:00, she called her colleague in the law
firm, Suheil Ashour, and informed him that she won the case; and that she was on
her way to the office of the Palestinian Development Fund in the Masyoun area in
Ramallah to collect a check. At 13:37, three of the lawyer’s brothers and
sisters received a telephone message from the kidnappers stating that “Amani
will be away for 7 days. We will let you speak to her after that.” The message
was sent from a mobile phone working on network of the Israeli company Cellcom.
The following day, Amani’s small brother received a message stating that she is
well.
PCHR is concerned over this crime, which is a continuation of the security chaos
plaguing the OPT. The Centre calls for the immediate and safe release of Amani Taha
Abu Arqoub. In addition, PCHR calls upon the PNA, represented by the
Attorney-General, to seriously investigate this crime, and to prosecute the
perpetrators.
