Israel frees Hamas-affiliated speaker

The Hamas-affiliated speaker of the Palestinian parliament has been released from an Israeli prison after serving most of a three-year sentence. LI QIONG has more.

Palestinian parliament speaker Abdel Aziz Duaik waves to supporters as he is driven away after a press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, following his release from an Israeli prison, Tuesday, June 23, 2009.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Abdel Aziz Duaik is the most senior of dozens of Hamas politicians arrested after Gaza militants loyal to the group captured an Israeli soldier in June 2006.

Abdel Aziz Duaik, said, "My body is free, but my soul is still in Hadarim with the other prisoners."

A Hamas spokesman said that the arrest of Duaik had been "a political decision and an unjust and unfair one."

The group would not say whether Duaik would resume his duties as parliament speaker.