[NABLUS] At 1600 Monday July 01, 2002 Israeli soldiers took Eric Levine, an American human rights worker, Brian Dominick, an American medical worker, and Peter Blacker, a British medical worker to an army occupied house near Nablus where they were made to stay under inhuman conditions, with no explanation, for over 45 hours.

They were put in a small unfinished room, out in the open. They remained in the open day and night without adequate shelter from the heat or nighttime cold. They were given one meal a day consisting of canned food and not allowed to use toilet facilities. The men repeatedly asked why they were being held and requested to make phone calls to their family and consulates, but were denied. Soldiers yelled at them, pushed them and told them that if they tried to leave they would be shot.

Today at approximately 1600 the men were released in a remote location near Nablus, whereby they made their way into Nablus on foot. The two medical workers are now with the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC) in Nablus, and Eric is due to be on a flight back to the United States tonight.

The Israeli Army has thus far not given either the ISM or consular officials any explanation as to why these men were abducted, treated inhumanely and held incommunicado for two days.

For more information contact:

Eric Levine 972 (0) 56 382 317

Brian Dominick 972 (0) 56 621 928

Peter Blacker +44 79 74 236 541

For information on the International Solidarity Movement contact:

Huwaida Arraf: 052-642-709