A top Palestinian Authority (PA) official has defended the murder of political activist Nizar Banat, saying he “deserved to die”, according to a report by a London-based newspaper.
The official, who spoke to The Jewish Chronicle on condition of anonymity, said Banat deserved to be killed because he was “rude” to the men who killed him.
“I believe Banat deserved what happened to him,” said the official, who was described as a “high-ranking figure” in the PA.
“When you listen to his videos you can see he was not stable. He exaggerated his case. He was attacking the whole social system.”
Banat, 43, was killed in June 2021 after dozens of PA security forces stormed his home in Hebron to arrest him.
The prominent political activist and advocate of free speech was known for his outspoken videos on social media, criticising the PA for its corruption, as well as its security coordination with the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank.
A post-mortem examination found he had been beaten on the head, chest, neck, legs and hands, with less than an hour passing between his arrest and his death.
Last June, 14 security officers who stand accused of killing him were released on bail by a Palestinian court, which cited precautionary reasons due to the spread of Covid-19 infections in jails.
The PA official who spoke to The Jewish Chronicle was quoted as saying: “I know the officers accused of killing him personally.
“They are good ones. I know their wives, their families, everyone.
”He also defended the use of torture by the PA. (MEE)