Kurdish Journalists demand Israel release Allawi – statement

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A group of Kurdish journalists called upon the Israel government to release journalist Samir Allawi, the bureau chief of al-Jazeera TV channel in Afghanistan, who was arrested by Israeli forces one month ago.   In a statement, as received by IraqiNews.com, the group said that the Israeli authorities arrested Allawi without levelling any charge against him.   They called on the Israeli government to compensate Allawi materially and morally for his detention period, as well as offering an apology to him.   The statement carried the signature of 20 Kurdish journalists from Iraqi Kurdistan.   Allawi was arrested near the Israeli-Jordanian borders, while he was on visit to his family in Nablus city.   The charges filed against him claim that he was Hamas organization member, as reported by al-Jazeera Net. RM (TS)/SR 356