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Death of opposition leader at PNA hands raises doubts around Mahmoud Abbas

Hebron (West Bank), Jun 29 (EFE) .- (Camera: Sara Gómez Armas and Laura Fernández Palomo) Seeking refuge in the home of relatives in southern Hebron after getting death threats, Palestinian dissident Nizar Banat was woken up on June 24 by fists and pepper spray from forces linked to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), an entity that he repeatedly accused of corruption and abuse of power.According to the family's version, about twenty agents of the PNA special forces dressed in civilian clothes broke into the house and three leaders entered the room where he slept, beat him with metal batons and dragged him away to a detention centre for questioning, where he remained for a few minutes before being taken to a hospital.FOOTAGE OF FAMILY MEMBERS AND THE AREA WHERE NIZAR BANATEN LIVED IN HEBRÓN.SOUNDBITES OF:Mohamed, nephew of Nizar Banat: "We were sleeping in a closed room, the house was locked, they smashed one of the windows and broke in, one of them had a pistol and a gas can and the other an iron bar (I woke up and looked at them, they pepper-sprayed my face, the other one looked at Nizar to make sure it was him and hit him with a piece of iron on the head. The other person that pepper-sprayed my face opened the house door to let the rest in and charged at Nizar and took him out of the house, dragging him down the street and shoving him into the car.40 minutes later, we learned of Nizar's death. They took him from home and he was alive, so how did he die? "Gasan, brother of Nizar: "Nizar won the hearts of all the Arab houses of the world. He raised the motto that he is fighting against corruption, in order to give his children a transparent and dignified life (1.07)During this, the governor issued a statement that does not have a logo and does not have a signature and does not have a serial number or date, and before declaring the results, he declared the death of Nizar, and said that he died of a heart attack. Then his body was transferred for autopsy in Abu Deis and then the truth was clear that Nizar was killed due to torture and severe beatings, and the result was that fluids filled his lungs and mixed with blood.Jalil, father of Nizar: My feeling as a father ... we are very sad, repressed and hurt. I feel pain day and night, my tears never stop and my eyes won't stop crying, and my heart is broken. Issa Amr (in English)