RAMALLAH, April17, 2011 (WAFA)- Fatah Central Committee Member, Mohamed Shtayeh, Sunday said that the economic loss due the imprisonment of 6000 prisoner in Israeli prisons is about 224 million shekels a year.

He added in his statement which marks the anniversary of Prisoner’s Day,  that 80% of the prisoners were employees  before they were arrested, stressing  that most of the prisoners are young and have expertise and certificates in various majoring, and because of their absence they are an  invisible work force to the national economy.

He notified that 61% of the prisoners are under the age of 27, considering them a great loss of work force.

Meanwhile, he stressed that the vast majority of prisoners were the only providers of income to their families which makes the arrests in most cases a tragedy, explaining that arrests include all classes and age groups of the Palestinian society .

Shtayeh stated that although the number of prisoners is about 6000 prisoner, but approximately 800,000 Palestinians have suffered from imprisonment over the years of the Israeli occupation, which burdens the Palestinian economy and forms a significant impediment to the economic development.

Y.Y./F.R.