Today at dawn, occupation authorities arrested our colleague Waleed Abu Ras, the financial director of the Health Work Committees from his house in the Tireh suburb of Ramallah.

Dozens of soldiers raided and cluttered Waleed’s house and terrorized his children before arresting him in a brutal manner and taking him to an unknown destination. 

We at the Health Work Committees condemn Abu Ras’ arrest and consider his capture, although he has not been released from his last imprisonment for a long time, another violation added to a serious of breaches by the occupation authorities against Palestinian national organizations.

We hold the occupation accountable and fully responsibility for Waleed’s life. We so far do not have any knowledge about what happened to Waleed after his arrest and we call upon local and international human rights institutions to take serious and effective actions to secure his release.

It is worth mentioning that throughout the past years, several of HWC employees have been arrested and detained by the occupation authorities for various periods of time.

The Health Work Committees confirms its persistence in providing continuous services to the Palestinian people in order to enhance their steadfastness in the face of the attacks and massacres carried out by the occupying power against them, despite the numerous violations carried out against the organization.

12/1/2009