Totah and Abu Arafah barred from Jerusalem, sentenced to 30 months in Israeli prison

totah-abuarafahTwo Palestinian legislators, Mohammed Totah and former minister Khaled Abu Arafah were sentenced on July 11 to 30 months in occupation prisons and deported from Jerusalem, their home city. Both were arrested on January 23, 2012 at their sit-in at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Jerusalem.

Like previous Palestinian parliamentarians Ahmed Attoun and Mohammad Abu Teir, Totah and Abu Arafah were barred from entering Jerusalem and threatened with six months in Israeli prisons if they enter their own city.

The elected officials took refuge at the Red Cross building in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah in July 2010 along with lawmaker Ahmad Attoun after Israel revoked their residency permits.