The Inter-Parliamentary Union expresses concern at the detention of several members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the elected parliament that meets in Ramallah.

The IPU calls upon the Israeli authorities to show restraint and respect for the parliamentary mandate which the legislators concerned were given in the elections held earlier this year. The parliamentarians should, therefore, be released immediately.

In the same spirit as it calls for the respect of the right to liberty for the detained Palestinian parliamentarians, the IPU also calls for the prompt and unconditional release of the Israeli soldier taken hostage by some Palestinian groups.

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Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPU, the oldest multilateral political organisation, currently brings together 146 affiliated parliaments and seven regional assemblies as associate members. The world organisation of parliaments has an Office in New York, which acts as its Permanent Observer at the United Nations.
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Contact for additional information or interviews:

Mrs. Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer 5, ch. du Pommier, CH - 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex / Geneva Phone: +41 22 919 41 16 Fax: +41 22 919 41 60 E-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org or cbl@mail.ipu.org Mr. James Jennings, Secretary of the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions Phone: +41 22 919 41 32 E-mail: jj@mail.ipu.org or postbox@mail.ipu.org.