Gazan authorities release former minister

Gaza's Interior Ministry has confirmed the release of former Minister of Culture Ibrahim Abrash. The author was reportedly detained for one hour after he refused to cooperate with authorities. In a statement, the ministry denied that Abrash had been arrested for speaking out against the regime, and explained that was released an hour after being detained. Abrash's wife claimed that two security officers had arrested her partner, alleging that he had been mistreated. She urged the Palestinian factions to take action, describing the treatment of the "Palestinian intellectual" as "a real shame." The former culture minister's partner explained that Abrash was questioned about several of his articles which questioned Gazan officials. She accused the Gaza-based government of violating his freedom of expression. Abrash's wife criticised the human rights organisations in Gaza for their their lacklustre attitude towards her husband's arrest. The Palestinian People's Party (PPP) condemned the imprisonment of the Palestinian author, describing the move as an insult to public opinion. Senior Hamas leader Dr Ahmed Yousef criticised the imprisonment of Abrash, and argued that Hamas would lose popularity if it continued to suppress free thinking. After his release, Abrash told reporters that the authorities shouldn't imprison anyone for publicly stating their opinions. The Palestinian author condemned the imprisonment of authors and journalists in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Abrash explained that authorities had questioned him about his views on Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi's recent visit to Gaza. "The investigators told me to apologise for what I had written, but I refused to do so," the author said.