Ramahi: Prisoners support resistance's demands for release of Shalit

[ 01/04/2009 - 07:28 AM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- MP Dr. Mahmoud Al-Ramahi has stressed that all Palestinian prisoners were in support of the Palestinian resistance's "just demands" for the release of the Israeli captured soldier Gilad Shalit. Dr. Ramahi, who was released from Israeli jails on Tuesday evening after two and a half years in detention, said that the prisoners and detained MPs were unanimous in refusing to negotiate with the Israeli occupation authority over the exchange deal. He added that all prisoners should be released topped by those serving high sentences. The lawmaker said that the prisoners asked him to convey a message to the Palestinian people namely to achieve national unity. Dr. Ramahi, who was arrested in his home in El-Bireh city on 20/8/2006, is one of the prominent Hamas political leaders in the West Bank. The MP, who graduated from University of Rome, medicine faculty in 1987, was elected to the Palestinian legislative council in January 2006 and was chosen as the PLC secretary. Israel releases PLC secretary after nearly three years in jail Date: 01 / 04 / 2009 Time: 09:17 Mahmoud Ar-Ramahi [Ma'anImages] Gaza – Ma’an – Israel released the secretary of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Dr Mahmoud Ar-Ramahi, after holding him for 32 months in prison on Tuesday. Israel seized Dr Ramahi and more than two dozen other Palestinian lawmakers and ministers after Palestinian fighters captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006. Forty four PLC members and three ministers affiliated to Hamas are still detained in Israeli jails. In the West Bank, only six members of Hamas’ Change and Reform bloc are still free. Two Fatah lawmakers and one Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) lawmaker are also in prison in Israel. Ar-Ramahi was quoted as saying, “prisoners and jailed PLC members sent a message to the Palestinian people asking them to stick to national unity which is a necessity regardless of all obstacles.” He also revealed that Israeli authorities attempted to negotiations about a prisoner swap with Hamas leaders in prison such as PLC speaker Dr Aziz Dweik, and Sheikh Muhammad Abu Teir. However, jailed Hamas leaders refused to hold any such talks.