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JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces raided the East Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Isawiya on Thursday evening and arrested a former prisoner released in last years swap deal, witnesses said.

Samer Issawi was detained by Israeli forces and taken to the Russian Compound for interrogation, locals told Ma'an.

Issawi was released in the prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 18, 2011.

An Israeli border police official could not be reached for comment.

Palestinians living in the occupied territories are routinely arrested by Israeli forces, usually on the pretext of security.

Israeli has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967.

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Jerusalemite faces decades in prison after visiting nearby village

by Maath Musleh
The Electronic Intifada
Jerusalem
20 August 2012

Samer Issawi was freed from Israeli prison after last year’s exchange of a captured Israeli soldier for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. But today he is awaiting hearings in two Israeli courts, Ofer military court in the occupied West Bank and Israeli Magistrates Court in Jerusalem. According to Samer’s father, his son is one of nine prisoners arrested after being freed in last year’s prisoner exchange deal.

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Samer’s court hearing at Ofer is on 23 August and the Jerusalem court date is 5 September. Samer’s father finally had a chance to visit him at Nafha prison for the first time on Sunday; coincidentally, this is the same day for visits to Gilboa prison where his brother Medhat is held. His mother and sister had to miss the visit with Samer to see Medhat.

If Samer is convicted of breaking the conditions of the pledge he signed, he will be held in prison to serve the 20 years that remains of his original 30-year sentence.

“Until this day we have no clue what are the conditions of the deal,” said Tareq. “I am a prisoner’s father and I want to know if I will see my son again or not. No one has answers for us; we need answers.”

Maath Musleh is a Palestinian journalist and blogger based in Jerusalem currently seeking a master’s degree in political journalism from City University in London.

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