Ramallah – 15 September 2011: Israeli authorities on 13 September 2011, extended the detention of Al-Jazeera Afghanistan Bureau Chief Samer Allawi for the fifth time since his arrest, for a further eight days.

Allawi's lawyer Salim Wakim said Allawi's detention was extended on the basis that the prosecution had obtained certain data concerning the case, but has yet to complete their preliminary investigation. Wakim asked the prosecution team during the trail: “Why you are extending the detention without providing any formal charges against him? The answer was that they have not yet decided that that is what they will do."

Wakim added: "I appealed the arrest extention and it will be considered next Sunday in the presence of Allawy, we do not expect they will release him, but this is the legal method that we have now."

Samer Allawy was arrested on Tuesday 9 August 2011 by Israeli Occupation Forces while crossing the Alkarameh/Allenby border from the West Bank to Jordan, after spending his annual vacation with family in Sabastya village near Nablus city.

The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) strongly condemns the continued detention of Allawi, which is a clear violation of freedom of expression, and a blatant attempt on behalf of the occupation authorities to fabricate charges against Allawy.

MADA calls upon the international community to pressure the Israeli government to release him and all other journalists in Israeli prisons, including: Nawaf Al-Amer, Waleed Khalid, and Amer Abu Arafah who have been transferred to administrative detention in the past three months.