01 August 2006

U of Akron Professor Detained by Israelis

An Ohio college professor freed after 22 days in an Israeli jail said Monday that he was tied to a chair and questioned for 60 hours after being detained on suspicion of spying for Iran and Hezbollah.

"There were five interrogators. I had to sit on a chair, sometimes they tied my hands behind my back, sometimes they released them, depending on their mood," said Ghazi Falah, 53, a geography professor at the University of Akron.

Also, he was denied access to his lawyer for 21 days, and a media-gag was imposed on his detainment.

Falah, an Arab with dual Israeli and Canadian citizenship, said he had only come to the area to visit his sick mother who was in a Haifa hospital to get a brain tumor removed.

The professor said he believes he was detained because he has written articles critical of Israel.

"I think it was a political arrest, because of my writing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and about Israel's policies toward its Palestinian citizens," Falah said.


[WCPO...]

3 comments:

K. said...

wait. i thought the israelis were the "good guys"??? its all so confusing....

WestEnder said...

No, no, the Americans are the good guys! And not just good, but great. In fact, not just great, but "the kindest, most generous country to ever exist on this planet." (Jean Schmidt)

K. said...

oh yeah, that's right. i haven't taken my "patriotism pill" today.