Civil rights group the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel asked Attorney-
General Yehuda Weinstein Tuesday to open an investigation into Marwan Barghouti,
following his calls for Palestinian civil resistance.
Former Fatah-Tanzim
and al-Aksa Brigades leader Barghouti has been in prison since 2002 and is
serving five life sentences for the murder of five people, plus 40 years for
attempted murder.
In a message read to a crowd of supporters in Ramallah
on Monday to commemorate his 10th year in prison, Barghouti said that the
“launch of large-scale popular resistance at this stage serves the cause of our
people.”
Barghouti called for “stopping all forms of security and
economic coordination [with Israel] in all areas immediately,” which would upend
years of often volatile but persistent coexistence between Israel and the
PA.
Attorney Hila Cohen of the Legal Forum slammed Barghouti’s remarks
and said the security prisoner had in effect called for an
intifada.
Cohen asked Weinstein to order an investigation against the
security prisoner for “incitement, sedition, preaching on behalf of an illegal
organization, encouraging terror and making statements that endanger Israel’s
national security.”
Barghouti had violated the Penal Code and the
Prevention of Terrorism Act, she said.
Cohen added that Barghouti’s
position as a former senior figure in Fatah’s military faction, the Tanzim
militia, his calls were “very influential on his audience, increasing morale and
justifications for them to continue in their path and carry out
assaults.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
|