Iraqi PM urges release of Palestinian and Arab prisoners from Israeli jails
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Iraq's prime minister has called on the international community to demand an immediate release of Palestinian and Arab prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Nouri al-Maliki's statement on Tuesday came at the start of a two-day conference in Baghdad dedicated to the fate of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Iraq agreed to host the event after holding an Arab League summit in March.
Al-Maliki assailed what he called the international community's double standards as it backed the region's Arab Spring uprisings against "autocrats and tyrants" but ignored the issue of jailed Palestinians.
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Thousands of Palestinians are held in Israeli jails.
The Baghdad conference reflects Iraq's ambition to play a larger role in regional issues after nearly a decade of isolation and war.