The family of a political activist who died in the custody of Palestinian security forces last month on Saturday accused the Palestinian Authority (PA) of trying to cover up his death.
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Relatives of Nizar Banat, who was one of President Mahmoud Abbas's biggest critics, said they still have not received a document with an official cause of death and said the Authority has made efforts to settle the matter out of court.
Banat had been arrested by PA forces who broke into a relative's house where he was staying and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod before arresting him. He died shortly thereafter.
"The behavior of the Palestinian Authority until this moment is criminal behavior, covering up a crime," Ghassan Banat, Nizar's brother, told reporters.
Banat was an outspoken critic of the PA, calling it out over human rights violations and growing authoritarianism.
In a series of posts and live videos on Facebook, Banat had criticized the authority's close security coordination with Israel, seen by many Palestinians as betrayal, as well as its corruption.
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He also lashed out at Abbas in April for calling off what would have been the first Palestinian elections in 15 years. Banat was a candidate on an opposition slate.
His death has prompted weeks of protests, which the PA violently suppressed.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
