Resheq: Resistance only means to liberate prisoners

CAIRO, (PIC)-- Political bureau member of Hamas Ezzet Al-Resheq has said that liberating prisoners should precede the liberation of the occupied lands.
In a press release on Tuesday on the occasion of the Palestinian prisoner’s day, Resheq called on the Palestinian factions to compete in capturing Israeli soldiers to exchange them for Palestinian prisoners to rid them of their suffering.
He said that resistance is the only means capable of releasing those prisoners, opining that negotiations and the peace process were mere illusions and a waste of time.
The Hamas leader described the issue of those prisoners as humanitarian par excellence, calling for broad international solidarity campaign with the prisoners in their hunger strike to win back their rights and just demands.
For its part, the armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, vowed never to relinquish the issue of those prisoners and to maintain incessant efforts to bring about their freedom regardless of the lapse of time.

Bilin activist Abu Rahmeh released from Israeli prison

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israeli authorities released activist Ashraf Abu Rahmeh on Sunday night, the Bilin Popular Committee said.

Abu Rahmeh was detained by Israeli forces in October 2011 while participating in a weekly protest against Israeli land confiscation.

He is a leading figure in weekly non-violent demonstrations against Israel's ongoing annexation of village land for nearby illegal settlements and the separation wall.

An Israeli military court convicted him of organizing an illegal demonstration and throwing stones, imprisoning him in Ofer jail for six months. He paid 2,000 shekels ($530) to Israeli authorities upon his release, the popular committee told Ma'an.

He has been arrested several times by Israeli forces.

Both Abu Rahmeh's brother and sister were killed by Israeli forces while taking part in demonstrations.

In Jan. 2011, Jawahir Abu Rahmah, 36, died after inhaling large amounts of tear gas fired by Israeli forces who forcibly dispersed a weekly rally.

Abu Rahmah's brother Bassem was killed in April 2009 by a tear gas canister fired at his chest by an Israeli soldier during a village demonstration.

In 2008, a video emerged of Ashraf being shot in the foot by Israeli soldiers while blindfolded and bound.

The village of Bilin, west of Ramallah, has been the scene of weekly protests for years as Palestinians have fought to protect their land from annexation.

Israel blocks entry of 80 foreign solidarity activists

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli authorities blocked the entry of 80 foreign solidarity activists, who were supposed to visit the West Bank in solidarity with the Palestinian people, on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Israeli police said that 78 solidarity activists were detained at Ben Gurion airport including 51 French nationals, 11 Britons, six Italians, five Canadians, two Spaniards, and one from each of the USA, Switzerland, and Portugal.
She said that 18 voluntarily returned to their places of departure while the others were taken to two detention centers in preparation for their forced deportation.

Health of hunger strikers sharply worsens

JENIN, (PIC)-- A human rights group has held the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) responsible for the life of two hunger strikers whose health condition had sharply deteriorated.
Muhjat Al-Quds group said in a statement on Monday that Thaer Halahle and Bilal Dhiab have lost 18 kilograms of their weight after 49 days of hunger strike.
It said that both detainees were protesting their administrative custody without trial or charge, describing their incarceration as arbitrary.
The group noted that both prisoners were suffering low blood sugar, low blood pressure, pain in the kidney and stomach, difficulty in walking, and weakness in their eyesight, and repeatedly pass out.

Statement No. 1: Leadership Committee of Palestinian Prisoners on Hunger Strike

Sumidoun


The following statement, titled Statement No. 1, was issued on April 16, 2012 by the coordinating committee of Palestinian prisoners engaged in a massive hunger strike to launch on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day 2012. Translated from the Arabic.
 
The text of the statement follows:

Statement No. 1
Issued by the Higher National Leadership Committee of the Prisoners’ Struggle

Announcing the first spark of the intifada of the prisoners inside the cells of the occupation’s jails
To our great Palestinian people -
We believe in our right to liberty, our dignity, and the recovery of our stolen land and rights, and we announce the first spark of the battle in the occupation prisons (the battle to fulfil our promise) at the break of dawn on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.
We promise to our martyrs and prisoners who have come before, and to all of our Palestinian people to continue this struggle until the full achievement of our rights and the end of the practice of solitary confinement, or until we die as martyrs.
Therefore, we call upon you to support us and our struggle locally and globally until we achieve victory or martyrdom. We have firm trust in you.
Victory for us, and for our great people!

Higher National Leadership Committee of the Prisoners’ Struggle

Palestinians mark prisoners day in Gaza, West Bank

Protesters hold candles during a rally to show solidarity with Palestinian
prisoners inside Israeli jails, in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza
City on Monday night. (Reuters/Suhaib Salem)

JENIN (Ma'an) -- Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank marked Palestinian Prisoners Day on Tuesday with ceremonies symbolizing long-hoped-for freedom from Israeli jails.


In Arraba village, south of Jenin, officials gathered to mark the day ahead of the expected release of local Khader Adnan, whose 66-day hunger strike ended with a deal to free him from administrative detention.

In Gaza City, Hana Shalabi -- released after 43 days on hunger strike -- lit a torch of freedom and applauded popular support for detainees challenging their imprisonment. Shalabi was sent from her native West Bank to Gaza under the release deal.

Another torch was lit in Arraba to honor Karim Younis, the longest-serving prisoner, and Lina Jarbouni, the longest-serving female prisoner, as well as Adnan, in the presence of prisoners' families.

Officials unveiled a mural painted by four Palestinian artists at the entrance to the village. The "Will and Freedom" mural -- by Muhammad Shalabi from Jenin refugee camp, Areij Urouq from Jenin city, Anas Abiyya from Salfit and Tamir Kamal from Zababda -- shows Palestinian women suffering from imprisonment of Palestinians in Israel.

Speaking at the event, Fatah leader Abbas Zaki said: "There will be no peace and no safety without releasing all prisoners from Israeli jails."

On Palestinian Prisoner’s Day; Al Dameer Calls On International Community To Take Serious Action to Release all Palestinian Prisoners Held in Israeli Prisons and Detention Centers

Al Dameer

Reference: 23/2011

Al Dameer Association for Human Rights expresses its solidarity with Palestinian detainees and their families on the occasion Palestinian Prisoner’s Day. This day 17 April, is commemorated annually in order to remember the suffering of the Palestinian prisoners resulted from the Israeli practices and policies against them. Palestinian Prisoners Day comes at a time when the Israeli authorities are escalating their grave violations of the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law.

This year, the Palestinian Prisoners Day comes at a time in which Palestinian detainees are going on hunger strike in protest against their ongoing administrative detention, and the extension of their terms of detention without presentation of any evidence legally justifying their imprisonment. The Palestinian prisoners are going on a hunger strike also because they are subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading conditions, they are denied to access to medical care, in addition to practicing methods of torture against them; placing some of them in solitary confinement; depriving them of family visitation; and banning them from receiving academic education. They also demand to cancel the ‘Shalit Law” bill, which imposes harsher measures on the conditions of detention for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

Al Dameer condemns the systematic and continuous inhumane treatment of Palestinian detainees carried out by Israel .The Palestinian prisoners’ rights are violated , they are subjected to Ill-treatment  and poor detention conditions, denying visitation rights,  Medical negligence and denial of healthcare, Torture, and administrative detention. Also, Innumerable prisoners have been subjected to torture and other forms of degrading and cruel treatment during interrogation. IOF subject Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons to numerous instances of torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Moreover, Israel has placed a total, sweeping ban on visits by the families of prisoners from Gaza since June 2007.  Further, Israeli Authorities categorizes Gazan detainees as ‘unlawful combatants’.

IOF violations of Palestinian prisoners’ rights constitute serious violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, the additional protocol of 1977 and all the international conventions and treaties. Palestinian and Arab detainees are subject to degrading treatment in breach of their most basic rights accorded by international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights standards

Al Dameer Association for Human Rights condemns the systematic and random detention of the Palestinian civilians in the OPT. IOF continues practicing torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment against the Palestinian prisoners and their families.

In the light of the above, Al Dameer expresses its solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails and:

1- Calls upon the international community to take effective and urgent action to ensure the release of all Palestinian detainees and to end their sufferings.

2- Calls upon The High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal obligations, and to exert pressure on Israel to respect IHL and IL. That was in addition to the Israeli obligation to uphold the applicable international standards regarding detention place and fair trial.

3- Calls on Palestinian society to unite behind the legitimate demands of detainees to ensure the Palestinian unified efforts for the attainment of freedom and dignity of detainees and   to release all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons and detention centers.

End

PA cabinet urges pressure on Israel to free all prisoners

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority cabinet called Tuesday upon the United Nations to mobilize immediately to exert serious pressure on Israel to release all Palestinian detainees.

Ministers called particularly for Israel to free veteran prisoners, affirming in a statement that at the same time Israel should treat detainees according to international conventions and covenants by granting them their rights stipulated in those agreements.

On the occasion of Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, the cabinet expressed the solidarity of the National Authority and the Palestinian people with the prisoners in their struggle and strike for basic rights.

"These include ending the strip-search policy, collective punishment and deprivation of visitations, prohibition of secondary and higher education, denial of newspaper access, continuous cell attacks and maltreatment."

Palestinian civil society and human rights organisations mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day with call for action against Israeli prison contractor G4S

17 April 2012
Joint Statement

Today, on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, we the undersigned Palestinian civil society and human rights organisations salute all Palestinian political prisoners, especially those engaging in brave civil disobedience through ongoing hunger strikes in protest to the ongoing violations of human rights and international law. Emphasizing imprisonment as a critical component of Israel’s system of occupation, colonialism and apartheid practiced against the Palestinian people, we call for intensifying the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign to target corporations profiting directly from the Israeli prison system. In particular, we call for action to be taken to hold to account G4S, the world's largest international security corporation, which helps to maintain and profit from Israel’s prison system [1], for its complicity with Israeli violations of international law.

Imprisonment of Palestinians is a form of Israeli institutionalized violence encompassing all stages of the incarceration process. Palestinian political prisoners face systematic torture and ill-treatment during their arrest and detention at the hands of the Israeli military and are frequently and unjustifiably denied family and lawyer visits. Wide-ranging and collective punishments, including prolonged periods of isolation, attacks on prisoners by special military forces and denying access to education are used against Palestinian prisoners in an attempt to suppress any form of civil disobedience within the prisons. As of April 2012, there were 4,610 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, including 203 child prisoners, 6 female prisoners and 27 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. 322 Palestinians are currently held in administrative detention, without charge or trial.[2]

 

The severity of injustice and abuse suffered by Palestinian political prisoners has been the drive for many prisoners to begin hunger strikes at different intervals in protest against harsh prison conditions, torture and ill treatment and Israel’s arbitrary use of administrative detention. While the recent hunger strikes of Khader Adnan, who ended his hunger strike after 66 days, and Hana Shalabi, who ended her hunger strike after 43 days, resulted in individual agreements, Israel and the Israeli Prison Service’s policies therein remain unchanged and are now aimed at containing the hungers strikers through punitive measures as well as cutting off their contact with lawyers and family. Today, an estimate of over 1,000 Palestinian political prisoners are reported to have joined in an open hunger strike in addition to at least 8 others already engaged in an open hunger strike, including Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh, on hunger strike since 29 February 2012.  

 

In light of this increasing campaign of civil disobedience from within the prisons, we demand accountability for all corporations that both enable and directly profit from Israel’s continued violations of Palestinian prisoners’ rights being committed with impunity. Specifically, we call for action to hold to account G4S, the British-Danish security company whose Israeli subsidiary signed a contract in 2007 with the Israeli Prison Authority to provide security systems for major Israeli prisons.[3] G4S provided systems for the Ketziot and Megiddo prisons, which hold Palestinian political prisoners from occupied Palestinian territory inside Israel in contravention of international law.[4] The company also provided equipment for Ofer prison, located in the occupied West Bank, and for Kishon and Moskobiyyeh detention facilities, at which human rights organisations have documented systematic torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian prisoners, including child prisoners.[5] G4S continues to provide equipment to Israeli prisons.[6]

 

Moreover, G4S is involved in other aspects of the Israeli apartheid and occupation regime: it has provided equipment and services to Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank that form part of the route of Israel’s illegal Wall and to the terminals isolating the occupied territory of Gaza. G4S has also signed contracts for equipment and services for the West Bank Israeli Police headquarters and to private businesses based in illegal Israeli settlements.[7] A panel of legal experts concluded that G4S may be criminally liable for its activities in support of Israel’s illegal Wall and other violations of international law.[8]

 

We welcome the news that the European Union has announced that it has not renewed its contract for security services with G4S [9] following pressure from groups campaigning for Palestinian rights, and salute the previous decision of the Edinburgh University Student Association to block its contract with G4S.[10] We call upon other public and civil society institutions and also on  private companies to follow suit and end their relationships with this company that acts in service of Israeli apartheid and other violations of international law. We demand that the Palestinian leadership bans G4S from private and public tenders, and ask for the strict application of the boycott legislation in the Arab world against companies cooperating with the Israeli prison system.

 

We also note that G4S is being actively opposed by other civil society groups elsewhere in the world for its role in controversial deportation and imprisonment regimes, abuse of workers rights, violations of universal human rights standards and its involvement in the privatisation of public services. Let us work together to expose not only G4S, but also the roles of imprisonment and private security companies as political tools to silence and intimidate communities all over the world.

 

Amid hunger strikes and the highly publicized prisoner exchange deal in October, Palestinian prisoners’ issues have gained recent attention in international spheres. However, despite this increased focus and the criticisms of these practices by United Nations bodies, there has been no institutional changes made by Israel in regard to the human rights violations being committed against Palestinian political prisoners and detainees.[11] In an attempt to counter Israel’s unwillingness to change its policies and the lack of accountability for its countless human rights violations, alternative measures such as preventing participation by companies such as the G4S proves to be one of the few remaining effective steps towards pressuring Israel to comply with international law.  It is time overdue to break this chain of international complicity.  

 

  

Addameer Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Association Sahar Francis General Director	Aldameer Association for Human Rights Khalil Abu Shammala General Director
The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) Ismat Quzma Coordinator	Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Issam Younis General Director
Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights Najwa Darwish General Director	Defence for Children International Palestine Section Rifat Kassis General Director
Ensan Center for Human Rights and Democracy Shawqi Issa General Director	Hurryyat - Centre for Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights Helmi Al-araj General Director
Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights Issam Aruri General Director	Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies Iyad Barghouti General Director
The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network Allam Jarrar Steering Committee Member   Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling Maha Abu Dayyeh General Director	The Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign Jamal Jum’a Coordinator

   
   
    

[1] http://www.whoprofits.org/articlefiles/WhoProfits-PrivateSecurity-G4S.pdf

[2] http://www.addameer.org/files/Brochures/addameer-palestinian-political-prisoners-brochure-2010.pdf

[3] http://www.whoprofits.org/articlefiles/WhoProfits-PrivateSecurity-G4S.pdf, p.7

[4] Article 77 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the transfer of prisoners from occupied territory to the occupying country.

[5] http://www.whoprofits.org/articlefiles/WhoProfits-PrivateSecurity-G4S.pdf, p14-15

[6] http://corporateoccupation.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/targeting-israeli-apartheid-jan-2012.pdf, p.135

[7] Ibid.

[8] http://www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/RTOP-London-Session-Findings.pdf, p.18

[9] http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:118611-2012:TEXT:EN:HTML&tabId=1 (registration required)

[10] http://www.bdsmovement.net/2011/edinburgh-university-students-vote-to-ban-g4s-8279

PALESTINIAN PRISONERS’ DAY – Take Action to call for Freedom for Palestinian Prisoners!

Samidoun

Background | Actions | Events Around the World | Act now: Write the ICRC

• Global Call to Action and Endorsers of Prisoners’ Day
• Download Factsheets for Prisoners’ Day
• Watch Prisoners’ Video Testimony
• Act now: Write the ICRC
• Palestinian Prisoners’ Day International Events

April 17, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, is a global day of action for Palestinian prisoners. Events will take place around the world in support of Palestinian prisoners (see below for details.) As Prisoners’ Day dawns, 10 Palestinian prisoners are currently on hunger strike, including Bilal Diab and Tha’ir Halahleh, two administrative detainees held without charge or trial who are both nearing 50 days of hunger strike. Thousands more Palestinian prisoners plan to join in a massive hunger strike to launch April 17. International solidarity is needed!

• Tweet now: Act for #PalestinianPrisoners on #April17! Resources, events around the world, take action now! http://samidoun.ca/?p=654 

There are approximately 4,600 Palestinian political prisoners inside Israeli jails. Palestinians, living under occupation and oppression for nearly 64 years, have been targeted for mass imprisonment and detention by the Israeli occupation. Nearly every Palestinian family has been touched by political imprisonment – a father, mother, son, daughter, sister, brother, cousin, uncle, aunt – from the elderly to children.
Palestinian political prisoners are also political leaders. 27 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, including Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Secretary Ahmad Sa’adat, Fateh leader Marwan Barghouthi, and the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Abdel-Aziz Dweik, who represents Hamas, are held in Israeli prisons. Ameer Makhoul, one of the Palestinian prisoners who is also a citizen of Israel, was general director of Ittijah – The Union of Arab Community-Based Associations and the Chairman of the Public Committee for the Defense of Political Freedom.
Writers, scholars, students and artists are also Palestinian political prisoners, including Palestinian scholar Dr. Ahmed Qatamesh, who has now been held without trial or charge for nearly a year, Dr. Yousef Abdul Haq, a professor at An-Najah University whose administrative detention was just extended for an additional six months, and Ola Haniyeh, a student leader at Bir Zeit University and a leading political prisoner solidarity activist abducted just before student elections and currently held under interrogation.
We demand the immediate release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. They have been targeted by an unfair and unequal legal system. Their imprisonment reflects Israel’s inherent system of injustice and racism. In addition, Israel must immediately halt its practices of:

• Administrative detention.
• Torture and ill-treatment of detainees.
• Solitary confinement and isolation.
• The use of military courts in the occupied Palestinian territory that illegally try civilians.
• Undermining a fair trial by using secret evidence against the accused.
• Arresting vulnerable groups, such as children, disabled, elderly and ill people.

TAKE ACTION! 
1. Organize or attend an Event or Action marking Palestinian Prisoners’ Day! See below for events taking place around the world. No listed event in your city? Tell us about your local event here! 
2. Write to the International Committee of the Red Cross to demand it fulfil its responsibilities to protect the rights of Palestinian political prisoners. Click here to email!
3. Learn more about the Karameh Hunger Strike launching April 17 and inform others that over 1600 Palestinian prisoners will launch a hunger strike on Tuesday.
4. Download, use and distribute the handouts and factsheets for Palestinian Prisoners’ Day! These factsheets are made for use in your community:

• Download General Palestinian Prisoners’ Day Factsheet (PDF)
• Download Palestinian Prisoners’ Day Call to Action and Karameh Strike Handout (PDF)

5. Watch and display the video testimony of former Palestinian prisoner, Dr. Abdul-Aziz Omar. This video is available in three lengths – 6 minutes, 15 minutes, and 40 minutes. Stream the videos here!

Palestinian Prisoners’ Day Events (Submit Your Event Here)
Toronto: Palestinian Prisoners’ Day – Perspectives on the current struggle
Tuesday, April 17
7:00 PM
Beit Zatoun, 612 Markham St., Toronto, ON
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/352427434794172/
April 17th is International Palestinian Prisoners Day. As of 1 March 2012, there were 4,637 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including 183 children. Just like Hana Shalabi and Khader Adnan, 320 prisoners are held–without charge or trial–under administrative detention. More details…
Speakers:
Ameena Sultan, Shaira Vadasaria, Issam Al Yamani
Vancouver: Rally and Speak-Out for Freedom for Palestinian Prisoners
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
CBC Building, 700 Hamilton St (Hamilton and Georgia), Vancouver
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/134719799989932/
Nearly 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners are held in jails in Israel, including 170 children and 6 women. 310 prisoners are held – without charge or trial – under administrative detention. Palestinian prisoners include over 20 lawmakers and national leaders, like Ahmad Sa’adat, Marwan Barghouthi and Aziz Dweik.
On April 17, 2012, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, people around the world will respond to the call to take action for Palestinian political prisoners.  In Vancouver, Join us on April 17 to support Palestinian prisoners, demand their freedom, and call for justice. More details…
Chicago: Hungry for Justice – Fast in Solidarity with Palestinian Political Prisoners

Join CMPR for a community dinner and discussion with prisoner rights activist Bekah Wolf

Tuesday, April 17, 7:00pm
CAIR-Chicago Gallery
28 E. Jackson Blvd, Suite 1700
Chicago, IL 60604
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/301360836599124/

**Free and open to the public, but space at the venue is limited. To ensure a seat, please RSVP to chicagompr@gmail.com as soon as possible.**
Since 1974, April 17 has been commemorated annually as Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. Currently there are more than 4500 Palestinians in Israeli prisons and detention centers; nearly 200 of these prisoners are children. Just like Hana Shalabi and Khader Adnan, 320 prisoners are held – without charge or trial – under administrative detention.  Here in Chicago, the Chicago Movement for Palestinian Rights (CMPR) is calling on people of conscience to fast from sunrise to sunset on April 17 in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners. According to latest reports from prisoner rights group Addameer, 8 prisoners are currently on hunger strike. More details…
Speaker: Bekah Wolf
Glasgow: March for the Karameh Hunger Strikers, March for Palestine
Tuesday, April 17 – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
George Square, Glasgow
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/353500491364265/
On Palestinian prisoners day, Tuesday 17th of April, the Palestinian prisoners movement will launch the Karamah (Dignity) hunger strike. The magnitude of the 1600 Palestinian prisoners embarking on the Karamah hunger strike must be met with a significant international response. This means mass mobilisations to question the impunity of the Israeli state and our own governments involvement. As the resistance of the prisoners escalates, our actions in turn must escalate. This demo is called for by ‘We Are All Hana Shalabi’. More details..
Brussels: Protest for Palestinian Prisoners

• Manifestatie in Brussel
  dinsdag 17 april 2012
  12u00-14u00
  Europese Commissie te Brussel (Schuman-Rotonde)

en een

• Solidariteitsavond
  18 tot 22 uur
  film (25 min.): “Libres dans la prison de Gaza”
  Chris Den Hond en Mireille Court (2012)

More details…

Den Haag: Picket at Israeli Embassy

http://www.palestina-komitee.nl/agenda/693
The Hague, picket line at Israeli embassy, address: Buitenhof
Time: 12.30 – 13.30h
In Den Haag bij een picket van 12.30 – 13.30 uur bij de Israelische ambassade (Buitenhof).

Bradford: Day of Action and Education

Bradford United 4 Palestine will be in Student Central at the University of Bradford, in Bradford City, UK, all day, Tuesday, April 17, with information about Palestinian Prisoners’ Day and the struggle of Palestinian prisoners.

Pisa: International Solidarity On the Day of the Palestinian Prisoner
Tuesday, April 17
7:00 pm
Via S. Lorenzo 38
Pisa, Italy
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/412627942097315/
The Initiative of International Solidarity for the Palestinian Prisoners will feature a talk by Shoukri Hroub of the Arab Palestinian Democratic Union (UDAP), as well as a brief overview of the intervention of the Mossad in some Latin American countries, including Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia and Guatemala.
This event is sponsored by UDAP-Tuscany, Collective April 25, BRISOP, and Cobas Confederation Pisa. More details…
Athens: Picket in Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners
There is a protest April 17, 2012 at the Israeli Embassy in Athens, Greece at 6:30 in solidarity with the Karama Hunger Strike and the Palestinian prisoners.
Dublin: Lunchtime Picket with Palestinian Prisoners
To mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day 2012, on Tuesday 17th April from 1-2pm the IPSC will be holding a symbolic lunchtime demonstration outside EU House, Molesworth Street (Dublin 2) to highlight the European Union’s ongoing facilitation of Israel’s apartheid policies and war crimes – including the imprisonment of over 4,400 political prisoners.
Following the demo, activists will move to Grafton Street and conduct an information stall between 2.30 and 5.30pm, distributing information about Palestinian political prisoners. More details…
Sydney: International Day of Action for Palestinian Prisoners
Tuesday, April 17
6 pm – 8 pm
Sydney town Hall
Sydney, Australia
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/275990525816065/

Students for Justice in Palestine invites you to a rally from 6pm to 8pm onTuesday, April 17, on Palestine Prisoners’ Day. Meet outside Sydney Town Hall. Our lips will be silenced with tape, symbolising the purpose of ‘administrative detention’, which is to silence Palestinian resistance against Israeli apartheid. More details…

Montreal: Sumoud – An Evening of Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners

Thursday, April 19
6:30pm until 9:30pm
Concordia University Hall Building, Room H-110
1455 de Maisonneuve West Metro Guy-Concordia
Montreal, Quebec
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/273290676089860/?ref=ts
Please join us for a panel discussion and screening to highlight prisoner struggles, affirm our support and stand in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners. Featuring speakers: Issam Al-Yamani, Serin Atiani, and a screening of a video produced by Addameer, featuring an interview with Suha Barghouti, wife of Palestinian writer, scholar and political prisoner Ahmed Qatamesh. More details…

Action: Write to the ICRC!

Write to the International Committee of the Red Cross to demand they take action for Palestinian prisoners

Send an email to the International Committee of the Red Cross, urging the committee to take action for Palestinian prisoners and fulfil its responsibilities to Palestinian prisoners held in occupation jails.

ENTER SAMIDOUN WEBSITE TO SEND A LETTER

Call for international action: Show your support on Palestinian Prisoners day

12 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement

This week International Solidarity Movement is calling for international solidarity in the run up to Palestinian Prisoners Day on the 17th April.  The Palestinian prisoners struggle needs immediate international attention as Israel’s treatment of prisoners under a military judicial system starkly violates international law and fundamental human rights.  According to Addammer there are currently 4,637 Palestinian political prisoners are kept in Israeli military jails and detention centers, including 320 administrative detainees.
Some of the primary objectives of the prisoners struggle are:

• To stop the system known as administrative detention, which allows the imprisonment of individuals without charge or trail
• To halt the practice of solitary confinement.
• To stop the use of torture and ill treatment. Palestinians are exposed to systematic ill and degrading treatment from the moment of arrest – both physiological and physical terrors are used as means of breaking the prisoners and getting details and information.
• To stop the illegal transference of prisoners from the occupied territories into Israeli borders. Every time Israel brings a prisoner from the West bank jails inside their borders – they are in clear violation with the 4th Geneva Convention.
• To stop the use of military courts for civilians.
• To stop arrest and imprisonment of vulnerable groups such as children, elder and disabled.

Besides the suffering of individual prisoners, Israel systematically uses collective punishment towards the relatives of prisoners. The journeys to visit your husband, wife, son, or daughter may take up to 15 hours as the prisoners are systematically placed as far from their home as possible. Furthermore, visitors will face degrading processes of strip search at the borders to Israel and at the entrance to the prisons. Sometimes they even get turned away.
“All people and governments of conscience in the world have an immediate responsibility to put pressure on Israel forcing them to respect International law and human rights!” says Faris Sabbah, from Addammer, the Prisoners support and Human Rights Association.
TAKE ACTION
You can:

• Organize a protest in front of the Israeli Embassy or consulate in our town
• Write letters to protest the violations of rights of Palestinian political prisoners and to call for an intervention to the International Committee of the Red Cross, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and your governoment or parliamentarians.
• Write letters to Palestinian prisoners expressing your support. Read more about thise here:

Submit your photos:
What ever action you choose to take – please submit photos from your action to ISM at palreports@gmail.com.
You can get inspired from similar ISM campaign carried out in accordance to “Open Shuhada Street Campaign.”
Please follow these guidelines:

1. In the subject line please write “ Campaign for international solidarity with Palestinian prisoners”
2. Photos should not be a maximum of 1 MB
3. A poster, sign, clothing or any other visual statement that expresses your solidarity with Palestinian prisoners should be visibel.
4. Include a location of the photo (example: Hollywood sign, Hollywood, California) in the email
5. Include the date when the photograph was taken in the email
6. If the visual is written in a language other than English, please write the statement in the body of the email in order to be translated.
7. Photos should be original and not edited or borrowed from another entity
8. Photos must be submitted by April 19th.

Updated on April 17, 2012

On Palestinian Prisoners Day, the Suffering of Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails Doubles

PCHR

Tuesday, 17 April 2012 07:00

Ref: 45/2012

Today, 17 April 2012, marks the Palestinian Prisoners Day, which has been devoted by the Palestinian people to support the cause of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails.  Since 1979, Palestinians have commemorated this day, which marks the anniversary of the release of Palestinian prisoners in the first prisoner swap deal of 17 April 1974.

This year, the Palestinian Prisoners Day comes at a time in which the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails doubles as a result of violations of their rights.  These violations have recently peaked by the forcible transfer and deportation of prisoners, the latest of which was the forcible transfer of a female prisoner, Hanaa Shalabi, to the Gaza Strip on 01 April 2012.

These violations are part of a systematic policy adopted by Israeli occupation authorities against Palestinian prisoners, subjecting them to cruel, inhuman and degrading conditions, denying them access to medical care, constituting medical negligence which has caused deaths; practicing methods of torture against them; placing some of them in solitary confinement; depriving them of family visitation; and banning them from receiving academic education, according to a decision issued by the Israeli Prison Service on 20 July 2011.[1]

According to the figures and statistics PCHR possesses, more than 4,700 Palestinian prisoners are still held in Israeli prisons and detention facilities, mostly inside Israel, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, particularly Article 76 which stipulates that “protected persons accused of offences shall be detained in the occupied country, and if convicted they shall serve their sentences therein.” The majority of the Palestinian prisoners are from the West Bank, and they include 9 women and 190 children, as well as 320 prisoners who have been placed under administrative detention; the latter category includes 27 Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and former ministers. 

PCHR expresses its utmost concern for the continued deprivation of family visitation of at least 475 Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip, lasting more than five years now and causing deterioration to these prisoners’ psychological and health conditions in violation of international human rights law.  At least 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in a number of Israeli jails are expected to start an open ended hunger strike to pressurize the Israeli Prison Service to heed to their demands, including abolishing the policy of solitary confinement; ending the application of the Shalit Law; stopping attacks against prisoners, providing prisoners with adequate health care; and allowing family visitation to Gazan prisoners.  It is worth noting that at least 10 prisoners have been on hunger strike in protest against the policy of administrative detention. 

On the Palestinian Prisoners Day, PCHR draws the attention to escalated violations of the rights of Palestinian prisoners and the deterioration of their conditions because of Israel’s insistence to adopt a series of measures against them, which violate human rights principles and the international humanitarian law, which Israel, as a party to the relevant treaties, must respect.  PCHR also draws the attention to the international silence regarding such violations, which proves suspicions towards the international community’s disregard of international humanitarian law.   

Since its establishment, PCHR has systematically and continually followed up the cases of thousands of prisoners in Israeli jails.  PCHR has provided legal aid to prisoners and their families, and has documented and reported on violations of their rights.  In this context:

1. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under the Convention;

2. PCHR calls upon international human rights organizations to follow up cases of Palestinian prisoners and request their governments to exert pressure on Israel to stop its illegal practices against Palestinian prisoners and release them;

3. PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that both sides must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel. 

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[1] See “PCHR Condemns Punitive Measures against Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails,” Press Release, Ref: 70/2011, PCHR, 21 July 2011.

"Sabr" blog is back

On the occasion of Palestinian Prisoners Day the "Sabr" blog is activated again.

It has been a long time since this blog about Palestinian prisoners was updated for the last time. Since then a lot of important incidents have occured such as the second phase of the prisoners exchange, the great hunger strike of Khader Adnan and Hanna Shalabi, and her deportation in Gaza Strip.
Now, in front of a new massive hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners, "Sabr" is activated again to compile information from various sources.

Palestinian female detainees tell horrific stories of abuse in Israeli prisons

Thursday, 08 March 2012

Women show their solidarity with Hanaa Shalabi, a Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike to protest her detention by Israel, at a rally in Palestine. (File photo)

 

 By Amjad Samhan
Al Arabiya Ramallah

Throughout the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, around 800,000 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli authorities, more than 10,000 of whom are women. Many of those female detainees were subjected to several forms of abuse, sexual in particular, but very few were willing to talk. On the eve of International Women’s Day, however, some decided to break their silence.

S.H., who refused to disclose her full name, was arrested for a few days to put pressure on her husband, also detained at the time, and extract confessions from him.

“They striped me and the officer who was interrogating me sat beside me and tried to molest me but I resisted,” she told Al Arabiya.

Hanaa Shalabi, the 30-year-old prisoner who has been on a hunger strike for 21 days in protest of the humiliation to which she was subjected in detention, said that an officer in civil clothes claimed he was a nurse at the prison and asked her to take off her clothes so he could search her.

“When I refused, he called other officers who tied me up and started beating me,” she said in a statement to the Palestinian Prisoner Society.

Shalabi’s lawyer Mahmoud Hassan said that one of the female officers wanted her to take off all her clothes in front of the other interrogators for the search.

“She kept refusing until the officer had to search her in the bathroom but threatened to retaliate against her,” he said in statement, of which Al Arabiya obtained a copy.

Hassan added that his client’s hands and legs were illegally tied during the trial.
Shalabi, who has so far lost 10 kilos, vowed to go on the hunger strike until she is released. She was sentenced to six months in jail and the sentence was reduced to four months, but no clear charges were leveled against her.

According to former detainee Iman Nafea, Israeli authorities abuse female prisoners all the time if not physically then at least verbally.

“In many cases, they search female prisoners after forcing them to take off their clothes. This is very humiliating even if it is done by a female officer because it shows there are bad intentions.”

Nafea argued that Israeli officers do not need to get prisoners naked to search them properly because they have advanced equipment that can reveal what is under the skin.

Nafea added that Israeli officers do not necessarily harass Palestinian detainees through direct physical contact with them, but they use other forms of sexual abuse.

“I know of a Palestinian woman who was assaulted with a club and several others who were constantly threatened with rape.”

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, which is an official holiday in Palestine, Palestinian Minister of Social Affairs Magda al-Masry stated that women have always been an integral part of the Palestinian struggle for freedom.

“This struggle is manifested in the plight of female detainees like Hanaa Shalabi,” she told Al Arabiya.

Masry added that the Palestinian government should take a firm stance on the naked search of Palestinian female detainees.

“This violates all human rights laws and the world has to break its silence.”
All Palestinian women, stressed Masry, will mark International Women’s Day by declaring solidarity with Shalabi.

“We will all support her until Israeli occupation forces release her.”

Several Israeli human rights organizations filed 17 complaints on behalf of Palestinian female detainees who accused Israeli officers of sexual harassment.

According to the organizations, the Israeli military prosecution is currently looking into the complaints.

(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)

Release of 3 prisoners delayed by Israeli authorities

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Israeli prison authorities are delaying the release of three prisoners from Gaza who have completed their sentences.

The director of a prisoner's assembly, Muhammad Badr, on Friday named Abdullah Tawfiq al-Kurd, Wael Mousa Sharbaji and Wade Khamis Tamman as the prisoners who have had their release postponed.

Both al-Kurd and Sharbaji have finished their sentences of 9 and 7 years, respectively, and should have been released a month ago, Badr said.

Tamman, 30, has spent 10 years in jail and suffers from epilepsy.

Badr called on human rights organizations to help work for the release of all sick prisoners and put an end to violations by Israel.

It is not known why the release of the prisoners has been delayed.