Palestinian Authority’s Military Service has reportedly arrested former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s personal guard, Mohammed Al-Dayya, after he voiced criticism for the PA, Quds News reported.
Palestinian media reported Al-Dayya has launched an open-ended hunger strike to protest his arrest.
The family of Al-Dayya noted in a statement published in Quds News: “We were surprised by the arrest of our son without a justified reason by the PA’s Military Service.”
Mohammed Al-Dayeh, who was Yasser Arafat's most trusted bodyguard, is on hunger strike in a Palestinian Authority prison. (Not clear why he was arrested). https://t.co/AlBFuFlES0 pic.twitter.com/jlIw9Zx50Z
— Khaled Abu Toameh (@KhaledAbuToameh) December 25, 2017
The family added, “It is known to everyone that Mohammed Al-Dayya was the personal guard of Arafat and he was next to him during all his travels, to promote the Palestinian cause and to protect the rights of the Palestinians.”
“Mohammed has been known as a sincere human and his continuous attempt to seek the truth and that he does not have any agenda to cause instability in the Palestinian street.”
The family was surprised to know that Al-Dayya was arrested due to online posts in which he criticized the PA’s policy and officials close to the PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
They noted that he was not allowed to contact his family since he was arrested and that his whereabouts are still unknown.
Why I believe Yasser Arafat was poisoned https://t.co/1Nghskxgdi
— Patrick Gichuhi (@PatrickGichuhi) January 26, 2017
Al-Dayya served as the personal guard of Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leader, Yasser Arafat for many years. He was known as the “honest son of Arafat”.
Most of Arafat’s photos appeared with Al-Dayya standing next to him, as he accompanied him most of the time.
Arafat appointed Al-Dayya as his personal guard after Al-Dayya’s father was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted Arafat’s office in Tunisia.
(PC, Quds, Social Media)
