Detained Hamas lawmakers reject Israeli court's authority

The attorney representing five senior Hamas members, who were detained by Israel last week, said on Wednesday that his clients refuse to recognize the authority of the Israeli military court to rule on their case, the Ha'aretz daily said.

Attorney Jawad Bulus, who showed up in the court on Wednesday alongside with four of his clients, also protested against a five- day extension of remand imposed on his clients in the day, terming it as an abduction.

"The process is a slap in the face to the many factors that gave legitimacy to fair, public and democratic elections held in the Palestinian National Authority, in which they were elected by the Palestinian people," Bulus said.

The five, including cabinet minister Naif Rajoub, were detained by Israeli troops as part of a mass arrest of Hamas officials.

Some 64 Hamas cabinet ministers, lawmakers and activists were arrested in the West Bank and East Jerusalem last week in the wake of the abduction of an Israeli soldier on June 25 by three Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas' armed wing.

Source: Xinhua