RAMALLAH, July 29, 2018 (WAFA) - PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi Sunday welcomed the release of Ahed and Nariman Tamimi; "On behalf of the Palestinian leadership and people of Palestine, we welcome the release of Ahed Tamimi and her mother Nariman who spent the past eight months in Israeli jails.” said a statement issued by Ashrawi.
“Ahed and Nariman, both prominent Palestinian activists, were wrongfully and unjustly imprisoned by Israeli occupation forces in December. The motive for their vindictive arrest was political— Ahed, who is underage and turned seventeen behind prison bars, slapped an Israeli soldier who showed up with dozens of others to invade her family‘s home in Nabi Saleh, and Nariman filmed the incident,” said the PLO official.
Ashrawi added that Ahed and her humanity captured the imagination of many people around the world because of her spirit and refusal not to be intimidated by Israeli soldiers. “Her story and the stories of her courageous relatives expose not just the immorality, but also the cowardly nature of the occupation army.”
Ashrawi described the Tamimi family as “a symbol of resistance and resilience and an icon of dignity and pride for the Palestinian people.”
“While we celebrate today‘s news, we are still reminded of the roughly 5,900 Palestinians, including 291 children, who are currently being held in Israeli prisons and detention centers,” she said.
Ashrawi maintained that Israel persistently violates the rights of Palestinian political prisoners while the international community turns a blind eye to such illegal behavior and inhumane treatment.
Ashrawi paid great tribute to all Palestinians imprisoned by the belligerent military occupier, affirming that “ we will continue to pursue political and legal means to seek freedom and justice for all Palestinian prisoners, their families and loved ones.”
Ashrawi called on all members of the international community to intervene immediately and to bring Israel to fulfill its obligations under international law and international humanitarian law with respect to Palestinian political prisoners.
T.R.
