Family of Palestinian Detainee demands Int’l Probe in his Death in Turkey

The family of Palestinian Zaki Mubarak Hasan refused on Monday Turkish statements saying that he died by committing suicide in the Silivri prison near Istanbul.

It instead demanded an international committee to investigate the “mysterious” death.

“As his family, we trust neither the Turkish version of what happened nor the statements delivered by the Palestinian ambassador,” Hasan’s brother, Zakaria said.

Zakaria said his brother had traveled to Istanbul to find work.

“We call on all organizations and international parties to form an independent investigative unit tasked with looking into the case,” he demanded.

He said Hasan, 55, decided to travel to Turkey after he had retired from work. “He went to search for a job as a father to several children,” Zakaria said, adding that his brother was innocent from all accusations against him.

State news agency Anadolu said Monday that Hasan, who was arrested on charges of spying for the United Arab Emirates, committed suicide by hanging himself in Silivri prison west of Istanbul.

“Hasan was found hanging from the bathroom door in his cell at 10:22 am local time on Sunday,” a said a statement by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

It said the suspect was arrested earlier this month as part of a probe by Istanbul prosecutors of alleged spying by the Gulf state and he remanded in custody on charges of political, military and international espionage.

Zakaria asserted he was in contact with his brother when he was arrested in Istanbul, and he even informed the Palestinian ambassador in Turkey about the disappearance of Hasan and his friend.

“My brother was in Istanbul to sell chickpeas and beans. He has no ties to Palestinian leader Mohammed Dahlan,” he said, adding that all reports published about Hasan in the Turkish media were untrue.

Turkish reports said earlier that Hasan and his friend are believed to be connected to Dahlan, the former leader of Fatah in Gaza, who lives in exile in the UAE.