Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Palestinian citizen of Israel demands right to conjugal visits



Bethlehem – Ma’an – An Israel court in Nazareth refused the petition of a Palestinian citizen of Israel, demanding his right to conjugal visits with his wife, denied since their 1999 marriage, lawyers with Adallah said.

Walid Daqqa was detained in 1986 for his affiliation with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and on charges of involvement in the capture of an Israeli soldier, Moshe Tamam, who was captured and killed in 1985.

Daqqa married his now 47-year-old wife, a human rights lawyer, in 1999, and has been denied conjugal visits with her since their marriage.

Adalah center lawyer Abir Baker said the organization had petitioned the courts several times on the matter, but were constantly rejected under the pretext that Daqqa would use the visits to “communicate with hostile organizations.”

Adalah called on the court to provide detailed evidence justifying their findings, but was told the information was confidential.