The Israeli military court in Ofer Prison sentenced the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) to a year in prison on Monday. Aziz Dweik was also fined $1,500, Ahrar Centre for Human Rights Studies said in a media statement.
“We call on all international organisations to stand against racist Israeli actions against Palestinians,” added the NGO. It pointed out that there are now 12 democratically-elected PLC members in Israeli jails.
Dweik, who is in a very poor state of health, was arrested in July last year as part of a massive detention campaign targeting Hamas leaders, members and MPs. He has attended court on 14 occasions accused of delivering a public speech years ago and “inciting” people to violence. The veteran politician has been arrested several times and spent a total of four years in prison.
Deputy PLC Speaker Ahmed Bahr condemned the sentence, and called on the international community to work towards getting Dweik and all the other Palestinian MPs released.
The PLC’s Change and Reform bloc also condemned the sentence and suggested that parliamentarians around the world should protest in solidarity with Dweik and his jailed colleagues.