Palestinian Authority security forces have launched an investigation into the
assault on prominent Palestinian activist Mustafa Barghouti, one of the
organizers of last Friday’s Land Day protests in the West
Bank.
Barghouti’s office said that he was injured by a tear gas canister
that was fired by IDF soldiers at the southern entrance to
Ramallah.
Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National
Initiative, was released from the hospital on Saturday, his office
added.
Eyewitnesses said that Barghouti was attacked by scores of Fatah
activists during a protest at the Kalandiya checkpoint.
The assault was
in the context of competition between Barghouti’s supporters and Fatah over who
should lead the Land Day protests, they said.
One eyewitness said that a
number of PA security officers participated in the assault on Barghouti, a
former presidential candidate.
According to the account, the ambulance
that took Barghouti from the scene was also attacked by angry Fatah
activists.
A PA security source in Ramallah confirmed that an
investigation had been launched into the assault on Barghouti.
The
Palestine News Network reported that Barghouti’s office phoned its editors and
requested that they refrain from publishing the news about the assault.