Palestinian council includes 14 in jail

JERUSALEM, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- At least 14 Palestinians elected to the new Palestinian Legislative Council this week are Israeli prisoners, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The director-general of the Mandela Institute for Human Rights says 14 security prisoners in Israeli jails apparently were winners in Wednesday's Palestinian legislative elections.

Israel holds about 9,000 Palestinian prisoners and 31 ran for Legislative Council seats, the Post said based on information from the Palestinian Central Elections Web site.

Fatah's Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for terrorism, was believed elected to the council as was West Bank Hamas leader Sheik Hassan Yousef from Ramallah.