UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon's decision to reject a request by the families of Palestinian Prisoners being held in Israeli prisons to meet with them during a recent visit to the Gaza Strip has caused widespread anger. The families of the prisoners in turn expressed strong objection to Mr Moon visit accusing him of double standards, disparity and indifference in dealing with the issue of Palestinian prisoners.
 
The Centre for Human Rights convened a press conference in response to Mr Ki-Moon's visit attended by a number of Palestinian lawyers, MP's and independent parliamentarians and during which the Centre Director, Raji Sourani, stated that human rights institutions had sent Mr Moon a written letter in response to his decision.

The Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Training in Morocco, Lahcen Daoudi, stressed that the cooperation in the scientific field between Morocco and Turkey is vital and must be among the priorities of the two countries. He noted that the cooperation between Morocco and Turkey in the economic field is much wider than in the scientific field.
 
Following his meeting with the Turkish Ambassador in Morocco Tence Aacdol, Daoudi declared, in a press statement issued by the official media outlets in Morocco on Thursday, February 2, that there is a need to expand the scientific cooperation with Turkish universities in all divisions of study, especially at the level of students, scholarships, university professors and scientific research, stressing on the need to promote cooperation in the high areas.

Media reports have claimed that consultations are underway between the Turkish government and the Hamas Movement over the possibility of opening offices for the Islamic Resistance Movement on Turkish territory.

The veteran American journalist Helen Thomas has questioned why Israelis cannot accept that the people of Palestine elected Hamas in a democratic poll. She made her statement in an interview published in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, during which Ms Thomas responded to Israel's listing of Hamas as a "terrorist organisation". She is, she said, against violence, but can understand Hamas's desire to regain what was taken from them, a reference to the loss of Palestine by the creation of the state of Israel.

Press Statement

Issue date: 11 November 2011

Raed Salah wins permission to appeal against Home Secretary's deportation decision

On 7th November 2011 an Immigration Judge granted Sheikh Raed Salah permission to appeal the ruling of the First-tier (Immigration) Tribunal. Sheikh Salah has been granted permission to appeal on all 6 grounds submitted to the Judge.

Sheikh Raed Salah, Palestinian political leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel was detained by the UK Border Authority Police late Tuesday night. He was invited by the Middle East Monitor [MEMO]  and has been taking part in a speaking tour, speaking to British parliamentarians, academia and the public at various events, highlighting the situation of Palestinians living in Israel and Jerusalem.
 
Sheikh Raed was due to speak at tonight's Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) event in Parliament, where he was scheduled to share a panel with MPs and Peers, speaking on "Building Peace and Justice in Jerusalem".

The PSC and MEMO urges everyone to turn up in large numbers to support the event.
 
Please write to the Home Office Secretary, Theresa May to express your indignation to these recent developments.
 
Home Office number: +44 (0) 207 035 48 48
 
Theresa May office: +44 (0) 207 219 52 06 / email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Hamas has denounced the treatment Palestinian refugees in Iraq and pleaded for an end to the "killing, torture, displacement and arrests in Baghdad". The Islamic Resistance Movement said that it holds the Iraqi authorities responsible for protecting Palestinian refugees in the country and exposing the groups behind the crimes.

In a press release, the Hamas Refugees' Department said that it has been following the status of Palestinian refugees in Iraq closely, especially their treatment since the US-led invasion in 2003. "Palestinian refugees have been subjected to all kinds of torture and brutality," a spokesman said. "They have even been forced to write false confessions, so as to mobilise public opinion against themselves."