Israeli Attorney General issues final indictment against MK Mohammad Barakeh for demonstrating

Nablus / Amin Abu Wardeh for PNN – Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz has issued another indictment against Palestinian member of the Knesset Mohammad Barakeh.

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin pushed for the decision against the Chairman of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality on Sunday afternoon.

Barakeh is being charged with assault after participation in West Bank demonstrations against the Wall during which Israeli soldiers and police claim to have been assaulted by demonstrators.

As was reported in February, the Israeli government was indicting him on three charges, including two that relate to participating in a demonstration against the Wall in western Ramallah’s Bil’in in the spring of 2005 during which Barakeh himself was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet by Israeli forces. Another charge is for participation in public demonstrations in Tel Aviv against the Israeli war on Lebanon in the summer of 2006 during which he attempted to aid left-wing Israeli activist Uri Avnery as he was being attacked by Israeli police.

Mazuz then pushed the Israeli Attorney General to add another indictment against the outspoken Palestinian member of Knesset. Israeli police and soldiers attacked a group of people on the outskirts of Nazareth who were protesting in October 2007. Barakeh was one of the demonstrators and he was charged.

Having listened to the prosecution for nearly five months the Center for Justice, which defends MK Barakeh, says that the evidence undermines the claims of the police and the army. However, the Knesset Speaker insists upon his position which is considered to be politically motivated.

If the Israeli Attorney General continues on this course, Barakeh will not be granted parliamentary immunity as part of ongoing efforts to dismiss Arabs from the Knesset.