ReliefWeb

Adnan Naeem Abdullah, who works for one of Christian Aid's partners in the West Bank, was arrested by Israeli soldiers on 3 January 2003. He is a staff member of the East Jerusalem YMCA Vocational Training Centre in Aqabat Refugee Camp near Jericho. He is newly married and lives with his wife there. At the time of arrest, Adnan was going from Jericho to Bethlehem to visit his sick mother.
Adnan has been imprisoned in Etzion prison near Hebron. A lawyer has visited him but no legal proceedings have so far taken place and no information has been released regarding his arrest.

Two other YMCA staff members are also being held by the Israeli authorities. Haytham al-Hammouri was arrested on 11 October 2002 and is being held under administrative detention. His trial is scheduled for 9 January 2003. He is charged with travelling within the West Bank - something necessary for his job. His case has been taken up by prominent Israeli human rights lawyer Lea Tsemel.

On 30 November 2002, Israeli soldiers detained a second staff member of the East Jerusalem YMCA - Nabeel Hamed Hamadna, who works in the same YMCA department as Haytham Al-Hammouri. Hamadna's job requires him to work in the Nablus and Jenin areas of the Occupied West Bank. He was arrested while at work in Nablus. There has been no further news about his case.