Father of eight Mohammed Ghannam lost his ability to speak after less than 48 hours in the custody of the Palestinian Authority Preventative Security Forces.

Ghannam, 43, who works as a muezzin (crier responsible for calls to prayer) for the Ministry of Religious Endowment, was previously arrested three times by the Israeli occupation and twice by the Palestinian Authority (PA). The second time he was arrested by the PA, he was released after two weeks, only to be arrested again the same day by the Israeli army, which sentenced him to 25 months based on his political affiliation. He was released in October 2012.

Speaking to Al-Monitor by phone from the Hebron village of Tarama, Ghannam’s brother (who declined to share his name for the interview, citing fear of arrest by either Israel or the PA) recounted that the Preventative Security Forces called him Saturday morning, April 27, to tell him that Mohammed was under arrest, without giving a reason for it, but also likely for allegedly being linked to Hamas.

They came half an hour later to where Mohammed was working and transferred him directly from the Dura PPS offices to the headquarters in Hebron. Mohammed’s brother tried to send him clothes, but the officers refused to let the brother see him.