Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, met Dr. Ahmed Fathi Sorour, the Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament, in Rome this morning. During their meeting they expressed their hopes that the Palestinian parliamentarians currently detained by the Israeli authorities would shortly be released, adding that freedom of expression and freedom of movement should be guaranteed to every parliamentarian.

---

Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPU, the oldest multilateral political organisation, currently brings together 148 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.
Other press releases	Version française de ce communiqué de presse	More information

---

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