PA president turns down request by Hamas legislators to visit “political” detainees held in Palestin

PA president turns down request by Hamas legislators to visit “political” detainees held in Palestinian Authority prisons.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas has turned down a request by Hamas legislators in the West Bank to visit “political” detainees held in Palestinian Authority prisons, Aziz Dweik, speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said on Monday.

Dweik, who is also a senior Hamas representative, said that he wrote to Abbas asking for permission to visit the detainees, most of whom are being held in Jericho Prison, to examine their living and health conditions.

“We didn’t receive permission,” Dweik said, referring to himself and other legislators. “As legislators, we have the right to visit political detainees and check human rights violations in Palestinian prisons.”

Hamas said the PA is holding dozens of its supporters in detention without trial.

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Abbas-denies-Hamas-request-to-visit-detainees-308365