Legal advocacy organization Shurat Hadin-Israel Law Center has submitted an urgent request to the heads of the Israel Prison Service demanding Palestinian arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti be denied visits and other perks.
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Shurat Hadin submitted the request in the name of the parents of Ronen Landau, who was murdered in a 2001 terrorist attack in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Ze'ev.
In the letter, the advocacy group asserted Barghouti, who is currently serving five life sentences, had received excessive and unreasonable benefits that other security prisoners do not have access to due to foreign consideration.
They further noted that Barghouti, a popular figure with Palestinians, had either explicitly or in an implied manner been allowed to engage in political activity in the Palestinian Authority from within prison walls and even run in the upcoming Palestinian elections for PA president. Likewise, the group claimed security prisoners are not eligible to vote or run in Palestinian elections nor are they authorized to engage in activities pertaining to those elections within Israeli territory without the government's explicit authorization.
On March 31, Barghouti's wife, Fadwa, registered his parliamentary list in the May elections.
The Jerusalem District Court found the PA and Barghouti guilty in the 2001 shooting attack that killed Ronen Landau, who was 17 at the time.
In a statement, Landau's parents Michal and Shmuel said, "It cannot be that a convicted arch-terrorist with five life sentences can run an election campaign from inside the prison walls unhindered.
"We demand an immediate end to the visits and benefits Marwan Barghouti receives at the expense of the blood of the Jewish terror victims."
Shurat Hadin President Nitsana Darshan-Leitner concluded the letter, which was dispatched Thursday night, saying: "My clients insist the Israel Prison Service treat Barghouti the same as any other security prisoner serving a sentence for the serious crimes he committed, including ceasing to allow Barghouti to receive visits on behalf of Palestinian Authority officials or any visit by a person that is not entitled to meet with him in accordance with the rules.
"Likewise, it will not allow Barghouti's participation in political activity from within the prison walls, including not allowing him to run in the framework of the expected elections in the Palestinian Authority and not allowing him to engage in ancillary activities aimed at promoting his …. election within prison walls."
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