The ongoing detention of dozens of Palestinian dissidents in Palestinian Authority (PA) jails is not in line with the state of emergency announced to fight the spread of the coronavirus, member of Hamas Political Bureau Husam Badran said.

In a press release on Tuesday evening, Badran denounced political arrests by the PA security forces as “reprehensible and unacceptable” amid the COVID-19 epidemic.

Badran called for an end to political arrests in the West Bank, holding the PA responsible for the lives and wellbeing of all Palestinians held in prison for their political views. 

The senior Hamas official urged the West Bank-based PA to take advantage of the “national scene and responsibility shown by Palestinian factions in supporting the government measures to face off the coronavirus epidemic” and release all political prisoners.