Death is punishment for selling Palestinian land, PA court rules

A Palestinian found guilty of selling land to Israelis can receive the death penalty under a Palestinian Authority court ruling.

Judge Ta’et At-Twil ruled Sunday that selling or attempting to sell land to a foreign country is a criminal offense punishable by death penalty, the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported.

The ruling was an attempt to consolidate previous legal principle, including the Jordanian land law and a PA law that replaced it, according to the prosecution, which released a statement after the ruling, Ma’an reported. The statement also said that the “ruling aimed to protect the Palestinian national project to establish an independent Palestinian state.”

Death sentences are rarely implemented by the Palestinians. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas routinely withholds the required approval for executions, Haaretz reported.