JERUSALEM (AP) – An Israeli military court has sentenced a female Palestinian lawmaker to 15 months in prison after convicting her of belonging to an illegal organization and incitement, the army announced Tuesday, drawing angry denunciations from Palestinian leaders in the West Bank.
The sentencing of Khalida Jarrar culminated a case that has attracted widespread attention. Jarrar is a popular figure in the West Bank and well known for her fiery speeches against Israel.
Jarrar was arrested last April in a raid on her home for allegedly violating Israeli travel restrictions that barred her from Ramallah, the West Bank city where her family lives. She was subsequently charged with incitement and membership in an illegal organization.
Palestinians say Jarrar, who is in her early 50s and the mother of two grown daughters who are pursuing advanced university degrees in Canada, was prosecuted for political reasons. They say the evidence against her was flimsy and that she poses no threat to public safety.
Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, said there was “no legal basis” for the sentencing. In a statement issued on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, she said it violated Jarrar’s parliamentary immunity and called for her immediate release.