Latin American organizations join campaign in solidarity with Comrade Sa'adat
The organizations that signed on to the campaign, as of June 19, 2009, were:
Palestinian Federation of Chile
Palestinian Democratic Committee - Chile
General Union of Workers of Chile
Committee of Solidarity with the Palestinian people - Ecuador
The Revolutionary Left Movement of Ecuador, MIR
Committee of Solidarity with the Palestinian People - Argentina
Committee of Solidarity with the Palestinian People - Uruguay
Committee of Solidarity with the Palestinian People - Brasil
Palestinian institutions in Europe stand in solidarity with Comrade Sa'adat and all prisoners
The organizations sent a letter in solidarity with Comrade Ahmad Sa'adat, protesting his mistreatment in the occupation prisons. Comrade Sa'adat is the General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and has been imprisoned since 2002 - from 2002-2006 in a Palestinian Authority jail in Jericho under PA, British and U.S. guard, and since 2006 in a Zionist jail after the occupation army raided the prison in order to capture Comrade Sa'aat and his comrades held there. The letter, sent on June 17, 2009, protested the imposition of a uniform policy on Palestinian prisoners requiring wearing orange jumpsuits, medical negligence, and the isolation of prisoners in solitary confinement. This policy of isolation, under which more than 30 prisoners suffer and which has been applied to Comrade Sa'adat for over three months now, prompted his recent nine-day hunger strike, despite his own poor health.
The Palestinian institutions in Europe demanded that human rights organizations and all progressive forces in the world intervene to end these policies of oppression and humiliation directed against the brave Palestinian prisoners in the occupation jails. It stressed that the Israeli government bears full responsibility for the lives and health of the Palestinian prisoners.
Furthermore, the letter called upon all Palestinian and Arab entities, associations and centers in Europe to hold activities and events to support the campaign for Palestinian prisoners in all European cities. The letter was signed by a number of Palestinian community groups, including the Union of Palestinian Students, the Union of Palestinian Engineers, the Union of Palestinian Doctors and Pharmacists - Berlin, and the Association of Friends of the Palestinian Prisoners Society in Europe.
Events in solidarity with Comrade Sa'adat continue
Protests, actions and symposia continued to take place throughout Palestine and Lebanon in solidarity with imprisoned General Secretary Comrade Ahmad Sa'adat, including the below events in Saida and Sour,Lebanon, and in Rafah, Gaza and Nablus in the West Bank.
Saida, Lebanon
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Saida (Sidon), Lebanon, held a meeting and demonstration in support of Comrade Ahmad Sa'adat on June 19, 2009, paying tribute to his role as a symbol of steadfastness against the fascist Zionist occupier.
Representatives of Palestinian forces and political parties, popular committees and trade union, youth, women's and students associations participated in the event. The attendees marked a moment of silence in solidarity with Comrade Sa'adat and all the martyrs and prisoners.
Comrade Dhafer Al-Khatib, member of the Central Committee of the PFLP, spoke at the event, calling Comrade Sa'adat an heir to Al-Hakim and Abu Ali Mustafa, a living witness to the falsehoold of international law to the occupation, and a steadfast symbol of Palestinian unity. The secretary of Fateh movement in Saida, Dr. Kassim Sabah, also spoke, as did Abu Nizar of the Palestinian Front and Comrade Kawash of the DFLP.
Sour, Lebanon
The Popular Committees representing the Palestinian camps and institutions in Sour gathered at the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sour on June 18, 2009, where they met with the ICRC and delivered a letter addressed to the presidency of the ICRC in Geneva.
The delegation called upon the ICRC, which is responsible for monitoring conditions and providing a mechanism for communication to prisoners around the world, and all humanitarian and human rights bodies, international organizations and relevant UN bodies to intervene immediately to stop the persecution of Comrade Ahmad Sa'adat in the zionist jails, and to protect the rights of thousands of Palestinian prisoners lacking the most basic standards of life.
The letter also called upon these institutions to work to stop the practices against Comrade Sa'adat who was kidnapped contrary to all international law and norms, and warned of the dangers to Comrade Sa'adat's life and health, urging that it is critical to act to secure his freedom immediately.
Rafah, Gaza
The PFLP in Rafah held a mass rally on June 18, 2009 in Rafah Governorate, in solidarity with imprisoned General Secretary Comrade Ahmad Sa'adat. A number of leaders, cadres and members of the PFLP participated, including Comrades Imad Abu Rahma, Jamil Mizher and Mohammad Saqqa, as well as many leaders of Palestinian factions.
The participants carried Palestinian flags, PFLP banners, and posters of Comrade Sa'adat, and chanted for the lives of Comrade Sa'adat and all Palestinian prisoners in the Zionist jails.
Comrade Iyad Awadallah, member of the Central Committee of the PFLP, spoke on behalf of the Front, praising the steadfastness of Comrade Sa'adat and stressing the solidarity and support of the PFLP in Rafah with all of the prisoners in the Zionist jails confronting repression with steadfastness, stating the policies of abuse and isolation are intended to break their will and also are aimed at the liquidation in particular of the national leader Sa'adat.
Comrade Awadallah praised the strength of the prisoners and their example of national unity, calling for national unity to confront the occupier and struggle for the rights of the Palestinian people. He closed by paying tribute to Comrade Sa'adat and all prisoners and pledged to continue to struggle for return and liberation.
Nablus, West Bank
The Union of Palestinian Women's Committees held a forum in Nablus on June 20, 2009, under the slogan of Freedom for the Heroic Prisoners in the Occupation Jails, in solidarity with Comrade Ahmad Sa'adat, the imprisoned general secretary of the PFLP, and all Palestinian prisoners.
The forum was attended by many people and families of the prisoners. Comrade Khalida Jarrar, member of the Political Bureau of the PFLP, spoke at the forum, as did Samer Smaro, and Professor Esmet Al-Choukeir, of the UPWC and a professor at An-Najah University.
Professor Al-Choukeir discussed the history of Comrade Sa'adat's case, including the US/British/Israeli agreements with the Palestinian authority and the shameful US/British agreements with the Israelis to allow their siege and capture of Comrade Sa'adat and his comrades within Jericho prison in March 2006. She noted that this scene, including the destruction of the prison over the heads of Comrade Sa'adat and his comrades with heavy weapons and bulldozers, was broadcast via satellite to the world, and that this illustrated the strength of Comrade Sa'adat and that he would not be intimidated, that he showed an image of steadfastness, national pride and honor to the world in 2006, following an Israeli attack that shook the conscience of the world. Today, she said, Comrade Sa'adat is teaching us a new lesson in steadfastness and resistance and giving new momentum to the prisoners' movement.
Comrade Jarrar spoke about how Comrade Sa'adat was moved from Hadarim prison to Asqelan three months ago and isolated, because of the impact of his letters and messages on Palestinian political forces and society, calling for united resistance to the occupation and an end to so-called negotiations with the occupier. She described the isolation cell as a narrow cell with only one prisoner, no bath inside the cell, no communication or visitors, and prevention of newspapers and television. She described the cause of Comrade Sa'adat's hunger strike - not only his own isolation, but to highlight the case of the 30 prisoners in isolation in the occupation jails and the denial of prisoners' rights won by long struggle. She also described the penalties and punishments accorded to Comrade Sa'adat, including another month of isolation, and a two-hundred shekel fine, as well as further prevention of family visits.
Comrade Jarrar emphasized the role of the prisoners' movement in the struggle for national unity, particularly Comrade Sa'adat's leading role. She also emphasized the importance of the prisoners' movement in Palestinian society, noting that the occupation is attempting to foster discord among prisoners but failing. She focused on the need to end so-called negotiations with the Netanyahu government and reject any reliance on the U.S. or the occupier, and instead struggle against the settlements and for the prisoners' cause. She also denounced human rights violations and political detentions by the Palestinian Authority, including the closure of associations and the torture of Haitham Amro in the PA prisons.
Comrade Jarrar called for an end to external interference in the Palestinian cause, particularly that of the U.S. She called for an escalation of popular pressure to uphold the unity and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, and loyalty to the prisoners and their cause, to confront the occupation.
