Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, has called on Monday on the Saudi authorities to release all Palestinian detainees in the kingdom’s prisons.
Haniyeh’s remarks came at the conclusion of the activities of the seventh political conference of Hamas.
“We call on the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and officials in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to release all Palestinian detainees,” Haniyeh said.
“It is not permissible for them to remain in prisons just because of having a relationship with Hamas, which has not tampered with the internal affairs of any country,” he added.
On September 9, 2019, Hamas announced that Saudi Arabia had arrested a leader in the movement named Mohammad Al-Khudari together with his son.
Al-Khudari was responsible for managing the relationship with the Kingdom for the past two decades, and he held senior leadership positions in the movement.
“His arrest comes as part of a campaign against many Palestinian people residing in Saudi Arabia,” Hamas added.
For its part, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, based in Geneva, said in a statement issued on September 6, 2019, that Saudi Arabia is forcibly holding 60 Palestinians, including Al-Khudary and his son.
There was no immediate comment from Riyadh on the matter, and it has not issued any clarifications since the beginning of the discussion on the Palestinian detainees in Saudi Arabia.
