Speaker of Palestinian Parliament, Aziz Al-Duwaik, Arrested by Israeli Occupation Forces to Prevent Palestinian Reconciliation

Haniya calls on PA to end its talks with Israel after kidnapping of Dwaik

[ 21/01/2012 - 11:52 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Palestinian premier Ismail Haniya demanded the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah city to halt its peace talks with the Israeli occupation state in response to its kidnapping of legislative council speaker Aziz Duwaik.

In his Friday Khutba (sermon), premier Haniya described the kidnapping of Aziz Duwaik as a crime and called for responding to it through allowing the Palestinian legislative council to convene in the West Bank.

The premier also condemned the PA's talks with Israel as failed and frivolou, and said Palestinians should not shake hands with Israelis who kidnap their legitimate representatives.

He stressed that the PA should be serious about achieving national reconciliation with its rivals and end its security cooperation with the Israeli occupation.

In another context, premier Haniya received in his house on Friday afternoon a delegation from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, and occupied Jerusalem who came to express their support for Gaza people and their legitimate leadership.

Haniya hailed the Arab peoples for their ongoing support for Gaza people, especially during the hegemony of some tyrants over their countries.

Al-Ashqar: “26 Elected Legislators Currently Imprisoned By Israel”

Saturday January 21, 2012 15:17 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian Researcher, specialized in detainees’ affairs, Riyadh Al-Ashqar, reported that the number of elected Palestinian legislators currently imprisoned by Israel arrived to 26 after Israel kidnapped on Friday the head of the Legislative Council, Dr. Aziz Duwaik, and Legislator Khaled Tafesh.

Duwaik was kidnapped after being held for two hours at an Israeli military roadblock, while Tafesh was kidnapped after the army broke into his home in Bethlehem, and violently searched it; soldiers also confiscated the personal computer and the mobile phone of Tafesh.

Al-Ashqar further stated that Israel has recently stepped-up its attacks against the elected Palestinian officials, especially when taken into consideration that most of the detained legislators were imprisoned, released, and re-arrested in 2011 without any charges as they are confined under administrative detention orders that are frequently renewed for several months each time without the need to file any charges against them under the so-called secret file that even the defense attorney cannot have access to.

He said that the kidnapping of the elected legislators, especially the head of the Legislative Council, is carried out under direct political decisions made by the office of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and not by regional military commanders.

Al-Ashqar stated that arrests targeting legislators, including former and active ministers, prove that Israel disrespects international laws, especially laws and regulations regarding the protection of democratically elected officials.

The official concluded by stating that the arrest of Duwaik comes at this sensitive time due to the fact that Israel aims at foiling, or at least delaying, the implementation of the Palestinian reconciliation and national unity agreement that would ensure a united Palestinian political leadership for the Palestinian Authority, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

Haniya: Israel is against democracy, justice

[ 21/01/2012 - 04:34 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Palestinian premier Ismail Haniya has said that Israel was against democracy and justice in the world.

Haniya, speaking at a sit-in held in the Palestinian legislative council’s yard in Gaza in solidarity with the detained PLC speaker Aziz Duwaik and member Khaled Tafesh on Saturday, said that the PLC posed as one the bastions of Palestinian steadfastness.

The sit-in was attended by ministers, MPs, leaders of national and Islamic forces, and representatives of the Algerian convoy to Gaza.

Haniya said that Israel’s targeting of the PLC indicates that it plays an important role in the struggle with the “Zionist occupation”.

For his part, Dr. Ahmed Bahar, the deputy PLC speaker, described the arrest of Duwaik as a “political crime”.

“Such a savage manner of detention exposed the Zionist piracy before the entire world,” he added.

UFree: Deterrence against Israel needed to stop arresting Palestinian MPs

[ 21/01/2012 - 03:04 PM ]

OSLO, (PIC)--

The European Network to Support the Rights of Palestinian Prisoners (UFree) has described the Israeli arrest of Palestinian parliament speaker Dr. Aziz Duwaik and another MP as “serious escalation”.

It said in a press release on Saturday that condemnation statements were no longer valid in this case and that practical actions and pressure must be adopted on the part of international organizations and European parliaments to deter Israel.

The Oslo-based network said that the detention of the Palestinian MPs clearly displays Israel’s violation of international laws and doctrines, which incriminate the detention of the democratically elected parliament members.

UFree said that the detention of Duwaik and MP Khaled Tafesh raised the number of Palestinian lawmakers detained in Israeli jails to 25 mostly held under the “illegal” administrative custody.

Duwaik: I was arrested to prevent the PLC from convening

[ 20/01/2012 - 09:48 PM ]

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Dr. Aziz Duwaik, said on Friday that his arrest by the IOF aimed at stopping Palestinian reconciliation and to continue to disable the PLC.

Dr. Duwaik added, in a letter he sent with his lawyer from the Ofer military prison, that the IOF arrested him to stop the PLC convening in early February as was planned.

He called on PA President Mahmoud Abbas to call the PLC to convene and to open it for West Bank members of the PLC to discuss the occupation’s breaches against representatives of the Palestinian people and take necessary measures.

The PA in Ramallah kept the PLC gates closed since the split between Fatah and Hamas took place and it was hoped that as the reconciliation starts taking effect the PLC will be able to function as normal as possible despite the fact that over 20 lawmakers are jailed by the Israeli occupation.

Dr. Duwaik was detained on Thursday evening by IOF troops at the Jaba’ roadblock near Ramallah while on his way with his family to his home in al-Khalil.

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