PA court sentences two to death for 'collaboration'

However, verdict requires approval of Abbas, who has never authorized a death penalty. Nonetheless, some have been carried out.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
pa police 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
pa police 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
A Palestinian Authority security court in Jenin sentenced two Palestinians to death for "collaboration with the Israeli enemy" on Tuesday. This is the second time in less than three months that a PA court imposed the death penalty on Palestinians accused of collaboration. In April a PA security court in Hebron sentenced Imad Saad, an officer in the PA's National Security Force, to death by firing squad after finding him guilty of providing Israel with information that led to the killing of four Palestinians involved in terrorism. The two men sentenced Tuesday were identified as Wael Saed, 27, and Muhammad Saed, 22, both from Yatta near Hebron. The latter was sentenced in absentia after the court was told that he had fled to Israel. The three-judge court ruled that the two men would be executed by a firing squad for passing on information to Israeli security forces. But the judges did not say whether Palestinians had been killed as a result of the defendants' actions. The security court was headed by PA military judge Abdel Karim Masri. The other two judges were identified as Muhrez Atyani and Nabil Jaber. The verdict cannot be appealed. However, it does require the approval of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who, under pressure from human rights organizations, has never authorized any of the death penalties. Nonethless, some have been carried out. At least 65 Palestinians have been sentenced to death by various PA courts since 1995. Most of the defendants were accused of collaborating with Israel. However, only 13 have been executed by hanging or firing squad. Many others were killed while they were in detention, the hospital, on their way to court, or even while they were inside courtrooms.