‘Israelis continue interrogation of Khabbas, no charges levelled yet’

AMMAN — Jordanian engineer Malek Khabbas, who was recently arrested by Israeli authorities, is still denied the appointment of a lawyer and is yet to be charged, his brother Tareq told The Jordan Times Monday.

The 23-year-old, who was arrested on April 30 while returning from a visit to relatives in Palestine, has been interrogated ever since, Tareq said, adding that the Israeli authorities first told his mother that the questioning would last for two or three days.

“Interrogations with Malek were extended, first for two more weeks, and then for an additional 11 days,” Tareq said, adding that the Red Cross was also denied a meeting with his brother, who recently graduated from the engineering faculty at the Jordan University of Science and Technology.    

The Foreign Ministry told the prisoner’s family that they are following up on the issue with Jordan’s embassy in Tel Aviv.

Jordan Engineers Association President Majid Tabba said the syndicate has also contacted the ministry to follow up on the case of the engineer who has never been arrested before.

He added that the association will meet with a lawyer on Tuesday to discuss what can be done for Malek, calling for greater government intervention to safeguard the rights of Jordanians.

The unionist cited the killing of Jordanian Judge Raed Zuaiter by Israeli troops as an example of Israel’s “disrespect” of Arabs at border points.

Officials at the Foreign Ministry were not available to comment on any updates in the case. But in previous remarks to The Jordan Times the ministry’s spokesperson, Sabah Al Rafei, said the ministry is following up on the case.