Security forces detained Balad-affiliated Arab journalist, family says

Security forces overnight arrested an Arab Israeli journalist who is affiliated with Balad and related to Sami Abou Shahadeh, the leader of the party, according to the journalist’s family.

The journalist had recently traveled to Doha to interview former Balad MK Azmi Bishara, who lives in the Qatari capital after fleeing Israel in 2007 amid suspicions he assisted Hezbollah in the previous year’s Lebanon War.

The Central Elections Committee voted in September to disqualify Abou Shahadeh from running in the October 27 election.

The Balad party chief, who was no. 3 on the Joint List candidate slate at the time, dropped out of the race after after Supreme Court President Isaac Amit told him there was a majority on the bench to ratify the CEC decision.

Hebrew media reported last night that Abou Shahadeh is one of three senior Arab politicians whom Shin Bet chief David Zini seeks to interrogate over alleged foreign interference in the election, despite failing to present evidence to back up the demand.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara last night accused the Shin Bet of withholding evidence in the case and said that “in a country governed by the rule of law, it is not possible to interrogate citizens or elected officials without evidence that justifies it.”