Israeli police released, on Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, head of the Independent Palestine Coalition for the upcoming legislative elections, after detaining him for several hours and transferring him to Al Maskobiyya detent ion facility, in Jerusalem.
Al Barghouthi was arrested in the Old City of Jerusalem while touring it as part of his election campaign.
Palestinian factions and candidates officially started campaigning on Tuesday in accordance to the elections laws, which designated this day as the official day for launching the election campaigns.
Israel officially announced that it will bar the Palestinians from conducting the legislative elections or campaigning for them in Jerusalem.
Also on Tuesday, soldiers barred Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, "Third Way party", from launching her election campaign in Bab Al Amoud area, east of Jerusalem.
Soldiers barred Ashrawi and her supporters from placing a poster for the "Third Way Party" in the city.
Ashrawi told reporters that she decided to launch her campaign in Jerusalem because it is the capital of Palestine, and an important part of the occupied territories.
In Tulkarem area, soldiers detained Nada Tobar, an independent candidate, after stopping her at a military checkpoint close to Dir Al Ghsoun village, north of Tulkarem.
She was detained along with her campaign manager, Hussein Al Sheikh, for more than one hour.
Soldiers attacked the two and uttered words insulting the Palestinians, and their late president Yasser Arafat.
Al sheikh said that soldiers confiscated posters and campaign publications which were to be distributed in Al Sha’rawiyya area, in Tulkarem.
Nada, and her team, managed to enter Al Sha’rawiyya area after walking through hilly roads.
