Israeli occupation forces set free on Monday the independent Palestinian presidential candidate Mustafa Barghouthi after holding him for hours at a police station.
Earlier it was reported that in a violation of pledges made by Israel to facilitate the organization of upcoming Palestinian elections, Israeli police on Monday arrested Barghouthi in East Jerusalem.
Palestinian sources said Barghouthi was unceremoniously detained by heavily-armed border policemen who drove him to the Russian Compound lockup in West Jerusalem.
Witnesses told PIC that Barghouthi was campaigning in the Bab-el Amud neighborhood when paramilitary policemen approached him, handcuffing and telling him that he was under arrest.
One of al-Barghouthi's campaign's official described the arrest as "another clear evidence that democracy and occupation can't coexist."
