WEST BANK: Palestinians commemorate the late president Yasser Arafat, days after his widow said Swiss forensic tests reported that he was poisoned with radioactive polonium

Record ID: 564751

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinians commemorate the late president Yasser Arafat, days after his widow said Swiss forensic tests reported that he was poisoned with radioactive polonium
  • Date: 11th November 2013
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 11, 2013) (REUTERS) +++NIGHT SHOTS+++ VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS GATHERING AT YASSER ARAFAT'S GRAVE PALESTINIAN FLAGS OFFICIALS LAYING WREATH ON GRAVE OF ARAFAT GRAVE OF LATE PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT SHADI AL JAMAL, FATAH SUPPORTER WITH HIS CHILD WHO IS CARRYING PLASTIC WEAPON CHILD CARRYING TOY WEAPON (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHADI AL JAMAL, FATAH SUPPORTER, SAYING: "Today we are here to mark the death of the late president Abu Ammar. We are here to remember him and to mark his death." TORCH AT THE CEREMONY VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING FATAH FLAGS DURING THE CEREMONY RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 11, 2013) (REUTERS) +++DAY SHOTS+++ NASSER AL-KIDWA, NEPHEW OF YASSER ARAFAT, AT PRESS CONFERENCE PALESTINIAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) NASSER AL-KIDWA, NEPHEW OF YASSER ARAFAT, SAYING: "I spoke about going to the General Assembly as a first step, this case will help us to get international condemnation of this crime, the assassination of Yasser Arafat, and make Israel responsible. It also helps us to make Israel admit this crime, and bring the criminals to court." JOURNALISTS PICTURE OF LATE PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT AND PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS MORE OF NEWS CONFERENCE HEBRON, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 11, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN CHILDREN MARCHING TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT VARIOUS OF PROTEST NEXT TO ISRAELI CHECKPOINT IN HEBRON
  • Embargoed: 26th November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVA81S06LBNEM0TGMDH1Z0ARMAKN
  • Story Text: Palestinians gathered near Yasser Arafat's grave in his former West Bank compound on Monday (November 11) to commemorate the ninth anniversary of their iconic leader's death.
    In the West Bank town of Ramallah, Palestinians marched to Arafat's gravesite, where they lit candles and held prayers.
    "Today we are here to mark the death of the late president Abu Ammar. We are here to remember him and to mark his death," said Fatah supporter, Shadi Al Jamal.
    The late president was poisoned in 2004 with radioactive polonium, his widow Suha said last week after receiving the results of Swiss forensic tests on her husband's corpse.
    Teams of experts, including from Lausanne University Hospital's Institute of Radiation Physics, opened Arafat's grave in the West Bank city of Ramallah last November, and took samples from his body to seek evidence of alleged poisoning.
    The Israeli government has denied any role in his death, noting that he was 75 years old and had an unhealthy lifestyle.
    An investigation by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television news channel first reported last year that traces of polonium-210 were found on personal effects of Arafat given to his widow by the French military hospital where he died.
    Palestinian leader and nephew of Arafat, Nasser Al-Kidwa demands the Palestinian Authority submits Arafat's file to the United Nations.
    "I spoke about going to the General Assembly as a first step, this case will help us to get an international condemnation to this crime, the assassinate of Yasser Arafat, and make Israel responsible. It also help us to make Israel admit this crime, and bring the criminals to court," al-Kidwa told reporters in Ramallah.
    An investigation by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television news channel first reported last year that traces of polonium-210 were found on personal effects of Arafat given to his widow by the French military hospital where he died.
    That led French prosecutors to open an investigation for suspected murder in August 2012 at the request of Suha Arafat. Forensic experts from Switzerland, Russia and France all took samples from his corpse for testing after the Palestinian Authority agreed to open his mausoleum.
    In Hebron, dozens of Palestinian children march the street to mark the anniversary of the late President.
    Arafat signed the 1993 Oslo interim peace accords with Israel and led a subsequent uprising after the failure of talks in 2000 on a comprehensive agreement.
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