Palestinian Islamic Jihad co-founder threatened with 'unlawful' deportation from Syria

More than 11 months after Syrian authorities detained Adel al-Natour, a 71-year-old co-founder and former member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), he remains held without trial or access to legal counsel, his family told Middle East Eye. Natour was taken from his home outside Damascus on 18 September. His family said Natour left PIJ, an armed Palestinian faction, in 1995. Since his detention, Natour’s family has only been allowed to visit him four times, his daughter Israa, a public servant, told MEE. When they were finally allowed to see him four months later, he had lost 20 kilos.