Plaid Cymru MEP and Member of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with Palestine, Jill Evans, has joined a cross party initiative calling for the immediate and unconditional release of 44 Palestinian MPs imprisoned by Israel.

Ms Evans is a long standing campaigner for peace in the Middle East and has visited the region many times to take part in talks with the various parties.

The European Parliament has debated the situation in the Middle East and is considering sending a delegation to push for the release of the Palestinian MPs.

Ms Evans commented:

"Imprisoning democratically elected law makers is an outrageous abuse of power by the Israeli authorities.

"Forty years on from the six day war of 1967 which saw the West Bank and Gaza occupied by Israel, the Palestinian people are forced to live in a state of permanent siege. Building a stable and functioning Palestinian democracy is crucial to the peace process and the establishment of a Palestinian state existing side by side with Israel. This will be all but impossible to achieve if the Israeli authorities continue their policy of detaining law makers.

"Along with my colleagues from other parties, I call for the immediate and unconditional release of the Palestinian MPs in Israeli custody."

Note

The cross party statement reads:

"We, Members of the European Parliament, have decided to express our solidarity vis-à-vis our Palestinian colleagues imprisoned by Israel. Symbolically, 44 MEPs demonstrate this support by collectively sponsoring the 44 Palestinian Members of Parliament. As elected representatives we can not but condemn the imprisonment of the President and of 1/3 of the Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. We ask for their immediate and unconditional release. We will plead in favour of sending an EP delegation as well as all necessary initiatives so as to achieve this aim."