[AP/USA Today ] Hamas released Sawah Abu Saif, 42, a Palestinian cameraman for German TV, on Thursday after five days in detention. Richard C. Schneider, ARD's Middle East bureau chief, said Abu Saif was tortured and is currently in poor condition, but preferred not to detail the abuse he suffered "out of fear for Abu Saif and his family's safety." Hamas also arrested the director of the Palestinian news agency Maan, Imad Eid, in Gaza this week. The Hamas government has banned all West Bank newspapers from distributing in Gaza since Sunday. The Tel Aviv-based Foreign Press Association, which represents foreign media covering Israel and the territories, issued a statement saying: "We express our profound concern over information we have received that Abu Saif was tortured at the hands of Hamas security. Such abuse runs counter to any civilized notion of respect for human rights, and we sharply condemn it."
2008-08-01 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive