MK Aida Touma-Sliman (Hadash – Joint List) met Palestinian Legislative Council member Khalida Jarrar on Monday. May 25, at the “Hasharon” Prison Facility in Israel and demanded the immediate release of the Palestinian leader. According to Al-Ittihad, the daily Arabic-language newspaper of the Communist Party of Israel, Touma-Sliman and the Hadash parliamentary fraction continue to encourage international pressure on occupation authorities to release Khalida Jarrar, all other imprisoned Palestinian Legislative Council members, and all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees.
Palestinian Legislative Council member Khalida Jarrar (Photo: Adameer)
The judge of the Ofer Military Court issued a decision last Thursday, May 21, to release PLC member Jarrar until the end of the proceedings, on bail of 20,000 shekels and a third party guarantees. The prosecution, which has 72 hours to appeal the decision, indicated that it would in fact appeal. The prosecution also suggested that it will request an administrative detention order against Jarrar from the Israeli military commander of the OPT. The courtroom was filled last Thursday with international and foreign lawyers, representatives from diplomatic missions including the European Union, France, Denmark, South Africa, Switzerland, human rights organizations, and journalists.
The military judge indicated that he was not convinced that Jarrar poses a danger to the security of the area, citing the fact that the charges against her involved alleged infractions from as far back as 2011. The judge stated that even in the security service’s “secret file” there was not sufficient evidence to suggest that Jarrar’s release poses a security threat.
The prosecution submitted the charges against Jarrar on 15 April 2015, about two weeks after her arrest on 2 April. Initially she was being held under an administrative detention order, but this was subsequently limited to 1 month and 2 days. Since her arrest nearly two months ago, PLC member Jarrar has been in the continuous custody of Israeli forces.
Related:
- Palestinian MP Jarrar resists expulsion
- Occupation order expelling Palestinian Legislative Council Member Khalida Jarrar to Jericho
- Palestinian Factions Condemn Detention of MP Khalida Jarrar
- Joint List Denounces Arrest and Detention of Khalida Jarrar
