Israelis release two Palestinian lawmakers

The Israeli authorities have released two members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Mahmud Al-Ramahi, the PLC secretary from Ramallah, and Nizar Ramadan from Al-Khalil (Hebron).

Both men are elected representatives of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, which is affiliated to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). They were released at Al-Zaheriyya checkpoint south of Al-Khalil.

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Mr Al-Ramahi, who was kidnapped by Israel from his house on 10th November, 2010, spent 20 months in administrative detention. Mr Ramadan was detained at an Israeli checkpoint in Al-Khalil on 11th July, 2010; he has spent 24 months in administration detention.

Twenty PLC members are still being detained in Israeli prisons. The PLC speaker, Dr Aziz al-Dweik, and 16 others are from the Change and Reform bloc, two are from Fatah and one is from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. All of the prisoners have spent more than two years in administrative detention.