Israeli court adjourns trial of Palestinian parliamentary speaker

Israel’s Ofer Court adjourned the trial of the Speaker of the Palestinian parliament on Sunday. According to the Palestinian Information Centre, Dr Aziz Dwaik will return to court on 25 May. He is accused of delivering a speech at a pro-resistance celebration three years ago.

The Israeli Public Prosecutor has called for a 14-month prison sentence for the politician, but his lawyer rejected this, saying that the demand was both “illegal” and “unfair”. The court adjourned so that the sentence can be considered.

Dwaik was elected as Speaker of the Palestinian Parliament in 2006. He won his seat in parliament on the Hamas ticket, representing the occupied West Bank city of Al-Khalil (Hebron). He has been arrested four times whilst in office and his health has deteriorated; he has several illnesses, including hypertension, diabetes and kidney trouble.

The Speaker’s PhD in Regional and Construction Planning was obtained from the American University of Pennsylvania. He also holds three Masters Degrees from different international universities.