Protesters demand Palestinian prisoner release at Brussels European Commission

[ 20/04/2011 - 08:07 AM ]

BRUSSELS, (PIC)-- Men and women from human rights groups in France, Germany, Belgium and Norway wore blindfolds and trapped themselves in barbed wire while others waved Palestinian flags, Israel-condemning banners and prisoner photographs, as they peacefully demonstrated in front of the European Commission in the Belgium capital Brussels. With involvement from more than 17 rights groups marking Palestinian Prisoner Day, the protests demanded that the world intervene against the Israeli policies of administrative detention without trial under claims of ”secret files” and the arrest of members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and other public figures. Palestinian prisoners have been subjected to torture, women in particular, and have faced harassment and physical and psychological torture, humiliation, degrading searches, assault and more, said European activist Luke Verwet. The activists highlighted the violations committed by the Israeli prison authority and the widely effected area, saying that most Palestinians in the West Bank had experienced detention. They also made it a focus that 676 prisoners from the Gaza Strip have been banned from family visits. According to statistics offered by the world movement for the defense of children, Israel is currently detaining 221 minors between the ages of 12 and 18. 75 other children are on house arrest despite their young age, a phenomon unknown to the rest of the world, Verwet said as he spoke during the events. Ten per cent of prisoners have been placed in administrative detention, Verwet said, elaborating that those men and women are usually held without charges for six months for alleged security purposes before their terms in administrative detention are extended.