Nizar Banat has emerged in recent years as a critic of the policies of the Palestinian Authority, especially what he considered the involvement of a number of its officials in corruption files, and he was prosecuted by the Palestinian Authority security services, only to be killed on June 24, 2021, after members of the Palestinian security stormed The house he was staying in, and the incident shocked the Palestinian street, which went out in demonstrations calling for revealing the truth about what happened and holding those involved accountable.
The United Nations human rights rapporteur in the Palestinian territories, Michael Link, confirms that there are reports, some of which are credible, about the use of torture and illegal interrogation methods by Palestinian forces, and that the incident of Nizar Banat's killing represents the culmination of what was happening.
The program “What is Hidden is Greater” - in the episode 25/2 (2022) titled “Who issued the order” - showed recordings, exclusive documents and footage that revealed the moment the security force of the Preventive Security Force left on June 24, 2021 at 2:40 At dawn, from the headquarters of the agency in the city of Hebron, where I took my way in 4 civilian cars to reach the house that used to house Nizar girls in the south of Hebron, and it is located in an area under the control of the Israeli occupation.
Muhammad and Hussein Banat - who were accompanied by Nizar - recount how the security forces dealt with him, as he was severely beaten and handcuffed from behind, in addition to being sprayed with pepper gas on his face and mouth, before being dragged out of the house.
The investigation showed footage documenting the moment the security force - consisting of 14 members - raided the house at 3:15 am, and the moment he was taken out alive and violently entered into one of the vehicles, before the Preventive Security elements left in a hurry.
The program was also able to obtain a file of case documents, including a leaked document from the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service on July 24, 2021, documenting the details of the storming of the Palestinian activist's home, and mentioning the name of an official and members of the force.
Surveillance cameras refute the narrative of power
While the official spokesman for the Palestinian security services, Talal Dwaikat, referred to President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to form a fact-finding committee, the Director-General of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, Ammar Dweik, confirmed that the incident was clear, and that it needed to initiate a criminal investigation.
In his investigation, “What is hidden is greater” also showed the contradiction of the Palestinian Authority’s narrative with what was highlighted by the surveillance cameras, in which the program obtained a copy of its recordings regarding the security force’s dealings with Nizar Banat after his arrest, as he was not transferred directly to the hospital despite his poor condition, but rather transferred To the headquarters of the Preventive Security Service.
The program was able to obtain a copy of Nizar's forensic report and autopsy photos, which showed 42 injuries all over his body.
Samir Abu Zaarour - a doctor who participated in the autopsy of Nizar Banat's body - confirmed that traces of violence were visible in many areas of his body, including bruises, wounds and scratches, which confirms that the death was unnatural.
The program presented a leaked document from the Palestinian Public Prosecutor, which revealed that the arrest of Nizar was not legal, in addition to a secret document that revealed the security services' status of the activist at the top of the wanted list a day before his murder in Hebron.
The investigation revealed that the order to refer to trial in the case of Nizar Banat’s killing was limited to members of the implementing force, and did not include any of the security leaders who oversaw the operation, as only the testimonies of some of them were heard, to conclude that the case goes beyond the limits of who executed who issued the order.