Morgantini calls for transparent inquiry into the death of Barghouthi

Tuesday February 26, 2008 20:16 by IMEMC News

EU Parliament Vice President, Luisa Morgantini, called on the Palestinian National Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad to hold an independent and serious inquiry into the death of Majd Al Barghouthi, a political prisoner who died in a Palestinian prison.

Al Barghouthi died on February 22 for the fault of a heart muscle, yet marks of torture were apparent on his body as stated by the Al Mezan Center For Human Rights.

Morgantini stated that the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah must support a transparent inquiry into the death of Al Barghouthi in order to reveal all related circumstances.

 In her letter, Morgantini stated that Al Barghouthi was arrested, apparently for political reasons, by the Palestinian Security Forces on February 14, and that it is still unclear whether he was presented before a prosecutor of a judge twenty-four hours after his arrest in accordance to the Palestinian Penal law.

 Moreover, Morgantini stated that the EU calls on Israel to release all Palestinian political detainees and to end its systematic violations to the International Law, and this call also requires that the Palestinian Authority should also respect the international law.

 She added that she hopes to hear that the results of the probe will be ready and published as soon as possible, and stated that it is essential that Palestinian detention centers should be monitored by the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Morgantini further said that she hopes that all violators would be brought to justice “as a signal of coherence and steadiness against the torture and for the respect of human rights, everywhere”.

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