Jail date: MK Tibi meets terrorist Barghouti

Senior Fatah prisoner 'will not surrender to Israeli occupation,' Arab Knesset member says after visiting convicted terrorist in prison; Tibi characterizes Barghouti as 'freedom fighter,' calls for his release

Moran Azulay|Published: 10.30.11 , 23:58

Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi arrived at the Hadarim Prison Sunday to meet with senior Fatah figure and convicted terrorist Marwan Barghouti.

"Marwan Barghouti is like the Palestinian people; he's unwilling to surrender to the Israeli occupation," Tibi said following the visit. "Barghouti said that he and the other inmates are maintaining high spirits."

Tibi (R) with an old friend (Photo: Hadis al-Nas)

MK Tibi also met Karim Yunes, one of the most veteran Arab prisoners, who has been in jail for some 30 years following the murder of an IDF soldier.

During the visit, the inmates told Tibi about their imprisonment conditions and Barghouti stressed the importance of designating the issue of Palestinian detainees as a top priority.

"Barghouti told me that the sanctions adopted against Palestinian prisoners in the wake of the Shalit abduction are still in place and were not lifted, even though the swap was completed," the Knesset member said.

'Barghouti a freedom fighter'

Meanwhile, Yunes reportedly told Tibi that his imprisonment conditions were recently worsened and said he and his comrades were discriminated against compared to the treatment according to Jewish prisoners who engaged in terror acts against Arabs.

Following the visit, MK Tibi called for Barghouti's release, characterizing him as a "freedom fighter."

"He is struggling for the sake of the Palestinian people and his place is among the Palestinian political leadership and not behind bars," the Knesset member said. "His natural place is out of prison and not in it. All peace and liberty champions should endorse his release."

Barghouti, a hugely popular leader who headed the Fatah's Tanzim organization, became involved in terror acts against Israel following the outbreak of the second Intifada in September 2000. He was nabbed by Israeli troops during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002 and in 2005 was sentenced to a lengthy prison term.