The Israeli “Ofer” Military Court, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, decided Sunday to stay the deliberations on the case of the detained head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Aziz Dweik, until this coming Tuesday.Representing Dr. Dweik, attorney Fadi Qawasmi, stated that the Sunday court session was held to look into a request for Dweik’s release.
The court decided to delay the deliberations until this coming Tuesday, and will be deliberating the possibility of transferring him to administrative detention due to the military prosecution’s failure to file charges against him.
With the abduction of Dweik, the number of detained elected Palestinians legislators arrives at 26; both Dr. Dweik and legislator Khaled Tafesh, from Hebron, were taken on Friday.
Dr. Aziz Dweik has been repeatedly arrested and imprisoned by Israel, and in 1992, he and 415 political leaders of the Hamas movement were expelled to Marj az-Zohour area in Southern Lebanon. They refused to head to Lebanon and camped out in the cold in Marj az-Zouhour until they were allowed back into Palestine.
He served as Hamas English Language spokesperson, and in 2006 he was elected as the head of the Palestinian Legislative Council when Hamas garnered a decisive victory in the legislative and local council elections; Israel and the United States decided to shun the elected government.
On June 29, 2006, and after being elected as the PLC head, Dr. Dweik was abducted, along with dozens of elected Hamas officials, and was imprisoned by Israel for three years, despite the fact that no charges were brought against him; he was placed under continual administrative detention.
He was released on June 23, 2009, after an Israeli court refused to extend his remand when the Israeli prosecution failed to present any evidence against him. The prosecution was attempting to have Dr. Dweik remanded under administrative detention for an additional year.
Related;
Army Kidnaps PLC Head Dr. Dweik
Friday January 20, 2012 01:46
