On September 7, 2024, Palestinian journalist Ahmed al-Bitawi was arrested after the Palestinian General Intelligence Service summoned him for questioning at its headquarters in Nablus. His wife, Rana Mahameed, told CPJ that al-Bitawi phoned her from the facility and asked her to bring his cell and laptop, both of which were confiscated.
His lawyer, Ibrahim al-Amer, told CPJ that the allegations against al-Bitawi, who works for the Palestinian Sanad News Agency, were similar to those he faced after his arrest on March 29, 2024, while reporting on a march in support of Gaza, including possession of an illegal weapon and receiving funds from an illegal organization. In that instance, he was released on April 8. 2024.
Al-Bitawi, who spent several years intermittently in Israeli prisons, was held for 15 days in Al-Junaid Prison in Nablus before being released on September 22, 2024, his wife told CPJ.
CPJ requested comment via messaging app from the Palestinian General Intelligence Service on September 10 and after al-Bitawi’s initial arrest in March but did not receive any replies.