‘Jordanian-Canadian businessman detained in Israel without charges’

AMMAN — A Jordanian-Canadian businessman was arrested by Israeli security personnel while crossing into the West Bank to attend a conference in Ramallah two weeks ago, a relative told The Jordan Times Monday. 

Ibrahim Siyam, 58, was arrested by Israel’s security service Shin Bet while crossing from Jordan to the Palestinian territories through the King Hussein Bridge with a group of businesspeople invited by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to participate in an investment forum in Ramallah, his nephew Ahmad Siyam said.

Ahmad said his uncle was detained for interrogation for 12 days that ended Sunday but the detention was extended for another week, and no clear charges have been levelled against him yet. 

He added that Ibrahim was denied access to his lawyer, and he is supposed to attend a court hearing near Tel Aviv without legal representation. 

“My uncle holds Canadian citizenship and has businesses both in Jordan and Canada,” Ahmad said. 

Asked if the family has contacted the Foreign Ministry to follow up on the issue, he noted that Jordanian and Canadian diplomats in Tel Aviv have contacted the Israeli authorities but are still unable to do anything to secure his release. 

“Israel has no respect for international laws or diplomatic norms,” Ahmad noted. 

Agence France-Presse on Monday quoted Avi BarAm, Ibrahim’s lawyer, as saying that he was questioned by Shin Bet without access to a lawyer. 

“They claim he has ties to Hamas but it’s not true... We deny all the charges,” he told AFP. 

Ahmad said his uncle has never given cash to any Palestinian entity, adding that he had only donated schoolbags and textbooks to students in the West Bank and Gaza.  

BarAm said his client was being held at a facility in Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv and that his remand in custody had been extended until May 25 at a court hearing at which he had no legal representation, AFP reported. 

“We went to the Supreme Court over the fact that he wasn’t given a lawyer but the court said it was a security matter,” he said. 

“Ibrahim Siyam was arrested few days ago, and we are following up his case through our embassy in Tel Aviv and with his lawyer,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sabah Rafei told AFP in Amman. 

“So far nothing is clear. We are waiting to get details.”

The Canadian foreign ministry confirmed one of its nationals had been detained in Israel but gave no further details, citing privacy concerns, AFP said. 

“Consular services are being provided to the Canadian citizen who has been detained in Israel,” spokesman Nicolas Doire told AFP.

“To protect the privacy of the individual concerned, further details on this case cannot be released.”