The death of Hamas activist Majed Barghouti is throwing fuel onto the fire in relations between the Islamic group and the Palestinian Authority. The 44-year-old preacher died on Friday after a week in a PA prison in Ramallah.
The deceased's relatives as well as fellow Hamas members said on Saturday that medical personnel who viewed the body reported signs of abuse.
Despite autopsy reports that show that Barghouti died from a heart attack, Hamas is claiming that his death is proof that Palestinian Authority prisons have become "worse than Israeli occupation prisons with regards to prisoners' rights."
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said that PA security forces are carrying out a "factional cleansing": (Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas' gangs are conducting crimes against Hamas leaders and members through arrests, torture and the closing of welfare and charity organizations. This is all part of factional cleansing that is propped by the occupation in order to eliminate the Hamas movement.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3510244,00.html