RAMALLAH, February 21, 2017 (WAFA) – Five Palestinians from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiyeh were detained apparently to foil efforts to hold a home coming ceremony for a released prisoner, an attorney for the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said on Tuesday.

Attorney Mufeed al-Haj said the Jerusalem Magistrate Court ordered Muhammad Mahmoud and Shaheen Illyan to be away from their neighborhood after they were held in detention.

However, the court suspended its decision to release the two men after the Israeli state prosecutor’s office said it was going to appeal the court ruling.

The same court remanded one woman, Nariman Abu Hilal, until Wednesday and two other men, Ahmad Ghoul and Saher Batta, until Thursday.

Al-Haj said it was evident that the detention of the five Issawiyeh residents was intended to foil plans to hold a welcoming ceremony for fellow resident, Muhammad Zeidan, who was supposed to be released on Tuesday after serving 15 years in prison.

However, Zeidan never made it home since Israel rearrested him minutes after his release, said al-Haj.

M.K.