Description

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- An Israeli court on Monday sentenced a Palestinian cartoonist to five months in jail and ordered him to pay a 10,000 shekel fine, his lawyer said.

Muhammad Sabanah, from Qabatia near Jenin, was detained on Feb. 16 at the Allenby Bridge as he returned to the West Bank from Jordan.

He was charged with contacting "enemy entities," his lawyer Muhannad al-Kharraz told Ma'an.

Sabanah's family said the verdict was a relief as it would end the pressure of interrogation. They added that the cartoonist is not affiliated to any political party.

Sabanah's cartoons are widespread in the Arab world. He is well-known for his criticism through his cartoons, which focus mainly on the Palestinian people's problems and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.