Palestinian presidential elections candidate beaten

The independent candidate for the Palestinian Presidential elections Mustafa al-Barghouthi said he was beaten yesterday by the occupation soldiers at a military checkpoint near Jenin to the north of the West Bank.

He added that soldiers beat two of his escorts as he has returned back from an electoral meeting in Jenin to the north of the West Bank and that he himself was also beaten by a gun, adding that all of them were obliged to sit down on the ground for one hour before they were permitted to continue on their way.

Meantime, the acting chairman of the Palestinian legislative council Hassan Khreisha announced withdrawal from competing on the Palestinian Presidency. Hassan Khareisha, from Toulkarem and is considered one of the activists of the Palestine National Liberation Movement ( Fatah) and known for fighting corruption, had nominated himself as an independent.