A Palestinian-American man was sentenced to life in prison Monday by a court in Ramallah for the crime of selling a home to a Jewish-Israeli organization.

Isaam Akel, 53, is an American citizen with Israeli residency. According to The Forward, he lives in East Jerusalem and was arrested in October by the Palestinian Authority for selling a house in the Old City of Jerusalem to a Jewish organization.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the Palestinian Grand Criminal Court found Akel guilty of "attempting to cut off a part of the Palestinian land and adding them to a foreign country.”

The PA's official news agency Wafa reported that Aqel was convicted of "selling a house to the enemy in Jerusalem."

The Jerusalem Post notes that since Akel is a resident of East Jerusalem, he has an Israeli ID card that prevents him from being arrested by the Palestinian Authority and prosecuted by their courts.

It is unclear exactly how Akel was arrested.

Some reports say he was arrested during a recent stay in Ramallah. The Forward reports that Akel was summoned to Ramallah to "sign paperwork." However, when he arrived, Aqel was barred from leaving and arrested.

U.S. ambassador David Friedman urged the Palestinian Authority to release Akel, an American citizen.

Friedman tweeted in November, "Akel's incarceration is antithetical to the values of the US & to all who advocate the cause of peaceful coexistence. We demand his immediate release."

The Pal Authority has been holding US citizen Isaam Akel in prison for ~2 months. His suspected "crime"? Selling land to a Jew. Akel's incarceration is antithetical to the values of the US & to all who advocate the cause of peaceful coexistence. We demand his immediate release. — David M. Friedman (@USAmbIsrael) November 28, 2018

The Forward also reports that Akel was tortured in prison. An American official was allowed to visit him and confirmed Akel had been tortured.

Akel's arrest and sentencing highlight the plight of many other Palestinians who are imprisoned, tortured, or even killed by the Palestinian Authority for being "collaborators" with the Jewish State.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, 52 "collaborators" were arrested by the Palestinian government. They were later freed by Israel during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002.

The 52 men sued the PA and were awarded $3.5 million 14 years later by the Jerusalem District Court.