Israel refuses EU access to Palestinian prisoners

The International Campaign for Releasing the Abducted Members of Parliament (Free PLC Members) has condemned the Israeli authorities for preventing a European Parliament delegation from visiting Israeli prisons to see the conditions prisoners are subjected to.

On March 19-20, the EU Parliament sent a fact-finding delegation to Israeli prisons where Palestinians are held however Israeli authorities refused to cooperate with the delegation.

In a press statement, Free PLC Members described Israel’s behaviour as “unethical”, noting that Israel continues to violate the parliamentary immunity of MPs who were elected by the Palestinian people: Israel abducted them then deported them, and it has now it prevented access to them.

The campaign called on all international human rights organisations and parliamentary institutions to take equivalent steps to uncover and expose the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian MPs and detainees.

The visit comes after the Free PLC Members campaign contacted the EU Parliament and informed it about the situation of Palestinian MPs inside Israeli prisons. This fact-finding commission is the first of its kind.

Eleven Palestinian MPs are still held in Israeli prisons where they are subjected to illegal repressive measures.