Palestinian bus driver found hanged in Jerusalem, sparks riots amid rumors of foul play

A Palestinian bus driver was found hanged in his vehicle on Monday, an incident that has led to protests by Palestinians suspecting foul play. The Israeli police,citing autopsy results,say that it was suicide.

According to Press TV, local sources say that: Israeli settlers have hanged a Palestinian man in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) in another incident of brutality against Palestinians in the occupied territories.

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RT reports: A Palestinian bus driver has been found hanged inside his vehicle at a depot in Jerusalem, with the Israeli police saying the man committed suicide, while the driver’s family claim he was lynched by Israelis.

The bus driver, who has been identified as Youssef al-Ramouni from al-Tur in East Jerusalem, worked for Egged, an Israeli company.

Other drivers were, according to the Ma’an news agency, alarmed to see al-Ramouni’s bus parked in the terminal late on Sunday evening, when it was supposed to be out on its route. They entered the vehicle and discovered al-Ramouni’s body hanging from a steel bar.

Israeli police say a preliminary investigation showed no sign of an assault.

“The bus driver committed suicide, there is no other indication other than it was a suicide case,” said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, according to Reuters.

Al-Ramouni’s relatives are not convinced, arguing that Youssef, the father of two young children, could not possibly have killed himself.

“I saw the body last night and I saw bruises and marks that he was beaten up,” al-Ramouni’s brother Louy told Reuters. “There were marks of fingers on the body and also on his back there was a bruise, as if he was hit by a hard object.”

The family supports their allegations with pictures of the dead body, which are currently circulating online.

The body is now in Abu Kabir Forensic Insitutute in Tel Aviv, where it was transferred for an autopsy. Al-Ramouni’s family wants a Palestinian pathologist to be present, but it’s not yet clear if this will be allowed.

Al-Ramouni’s colleagues have, according to the Haaretz, said that Palestinian bus drivers have long been targets of attacks by Israelis.

Rumours of the driver’s death in a possible assault spread across the Palestinian media, sparking riots in several neighborhoods of Jerusalem. Palestinian youths hurled stones and firebombs at police, who responded with stun grenades and tear gas.