PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

PLO Executive Committee

Department of Culture and Information

April 2, 2015

Dr. Ashrawi: “PLC Member Khalida Jarrar’s arrest is politically motivated and a violation of her parliamentary immunity”

PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said:

“On behalf of the PLO Executive Committee, we strongly condemn today’s arrest of Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Member and a member of the political leadership of the PFLP, one of the PLO’s constituent factions, Khalida Jarrar.

It is obvious that her arrest is politically motivated and a violation of her parliamentary immunity, and Israel should respect international norms regarding the immunity of elected officials.

Currently, there are 18 PLC members who are imprisoned in Israeli prisons, 9 of whom are being held under the extreme and unjust practice of administration detention.

We demand the immediate release of Khalida and all imprisoned PLC members, and we call on all members that are signatories to the Fourth Geneva Convention to hold Israel accountable for its blatant violations of international law, including the arbitrary arrests of Palestinians and the torture of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Israel’s continued use of administration detention and solitary confinement, the ill-treatment of Palestinian men, women, children, and elderly, and the constant prevention of visitations by family members.  Israel is not above the law, and it must not be given carte blanche to dehumanize the Palestinian people and systematically devalue their basic rights and lives.”