Israel has arrested one of the pallbearers of Shireen Abu Akleh's coffin, police said Thursday (May 19th) but rejected a lawyer's claim that his detention was linked to his role at the journalist's funeral.
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Amro Abu Khudeir was among those who carried the coffin of the Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist as she was discharged from a hospital in East Jerusalem, the eastern sector of the city occupied and annexed by Israel, during her funeral on 13 may.
Israeli police armed with batons beat the pallbearers of the coffin, which was draped in a Palestinian flag, an attack that drew strong international condemnation.
Amro Abu Khudeir's lawyer, Khaldoun Najm, told AFP on Thursday that his client was questioned by police about his role at the funeral.
The Israelis also claimed to have "
a secret file on (Amro Abu Khudeir's) membership in a terrorist organization
", he added.
"
I think they (Israeli authorities) are going to arrest other young men who attended the funeral
," he said.
“
For them, the subject of the funeral and the coffin was scandalous
”.
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"Conspiracy theory"
The Israeli police have for their part rejected any link between the funeral and the arrest of Amro Abu Khudeir.
"
We are witnessing an attempt to produce a conspiracy theory that is fundamentally flawed
," police said in a statement.
"
The suspect was arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation which, contrary to allegations, had nothing to do with his participation in the funeral procession,
" police added, adding that "
the suspect's detention has been extended by the court.
The police, who ordered an investigation into the incident, justified their intervention at the funeral of Shireen Abu Akleh by the presence of "
rioters
among the members of the procession, who threw projectiles at the police.
She also spoke of the need to suppress “
nationalist
” or Palestinian songs.
Thousands of Palestinians attended the funeral of Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot in the head while covering an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967. Palestinians and Al Jazeera news outlets claim Israeli troops killed her, while Israel said she may have been killed by Palestinian gunfire or a stray shot from an Israeli sniper.