Israel punishes Palestinian inmate for uprising call

Marwan Barghouti, sentenced to life imprisonment, is seen by many Palestinians as a possible future leader.


Reuters April 02, 2012
Israel punishes Palestinian inmate for uprising call

JERUSALEM:  Israel has placed a high-profile Palestinian prisoner in solitary confinement for a week after he called from his cell for a new wave of civil resistance, the Prisons Authority said on Monday.

Marwan Barghouti, sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004 after being convicted of multiple lethal attacks against Israelis, is seen by many Palestinians as a possible future leader and was a driving force in the uprising they launched in 2000.

Last week, he said in a statement that "the launch of large-scale popular resistance at this stage serves the cause of our people". He also said the prospect of ending Israeli occupation and achieving a state through negotiations was an illusion.

Prisons Authority spokeswoman Sivan Weizman said that as punishment for issuing the statement, Barghouti "has been placed in isolation for a week and denied visits and access to the inmates' canteen for a month".

From prison, Barghouti's views continue to resonate with the Palestinian public. The 52-year-old leading member of Fatah enjoys support beyond his movement and across the spectrum of Palestinian factions.

Observers have speculated that Israel might at some point release Barghouti to strengthen the hold of the more secular Fatah movement on the Palestinian political scene and stem the popularity of Islamist Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

COMMENTS (6)

Bombay Dude | 12 years ago | Reply

@aliz: Wait! So Quran actually mentioned about a state called Israel which will be punished by Allah ? What are you reading in name of Quran ?

Harry Stone | 12 years ago | Reply

@striver of progress in pk: In the civilized world prisoners have few rights. They forfeit those rights when they commit acts of murder. That he is even alive is a right he surely does not deserve. I however know you would not understand this living in PAK

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