International Parliamentary Union demands release of Palestinian MPs

The International Parliamentary Union has renewed its demands to the Israeli government for the immediate release of all Palestinian parliamentarians held in Israeli jails. “The arrest and trials of the parliamentarians are invalid,” said the IPU.

According to Saffa news agency, the Palestinian delegation to the IPU has asked for the inclusion of the Palestinian core issues in the report of the Union’s Middle East Committee. The request was made by the chairman of the Palestinian parliamentary delegation in Geneva, Azzam al-Ahmad. “If they aren’t included,” said the IPU, “the delegation will refuse to adopt the report.” Al-Ahmad expressed the delegation’s readiness to cooperate with the Committee to complete its work regarding these issues.

The Union said that it will not accept the continued detention of the Palestinian representatives by Israel, including MPs Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Saadat. “The Union makes sure that they are provided with proper health care and is concerned about the use of administrative detention in Israel.”

Stressing that Barghouti’s trial did not meet the standards required to be described as fair, the IPU called for his immediate release and for the Israeli government to consider including him on the list of veteran prisoners due to be released.