Tag: Mustafa Barghouti

Christmas in al-Ma’asara: Demonstrators march in solidarity with Abdallah Abu Rahmah

25 December 2009

Some 80 demonstrators marched in this Friday’s Christmas demonstration in Ma’asara, which focused on solidarity with Bil’in’s arrested popular committee member Abdallah Abu-Rahmah. Kids, adults and Santa Clauses were handed out used tear-gas and stun grenades, and hung them as decoration on the holiday tree.

The tree-carrying procession reached the regular military road block, where some of the children chose to decorate even the soldiers’ barbed wired fence with some grenades. Santa Clauses were waving flags, slogans where chanted, and speeches were carried in Arabic, English and Hebrew. One of the prominent speakers was Palestinians MP Dr. Mustapha Barghouti.

The demonstration’s jolly Christmas spirit did not catch the soldiers and border policemen, who jumped nervously at any sight of someone touching their fence. At some point five policemen crossed the fence and tried to arrest one of the village youth, but failed and had to face some heavy mocking while returning to their unlawful place behind the fence.

The demonstration ended peacefully and with season’s greetings to all present.

Women’s Demonstration Unlocks Prisoner’s Day in Jenin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JENIN – Tomrrow, in commemoration of Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, prisoner solidarity events will emerge throughout the West Bank. Every year in Jenin, a women’s demonstration initiates the Prisoner’s Day activities. Palestinian mothers and daughters, sisters and friends, will be joined by international and Israeli solidarity activists, demonstrating against Israel’s brutal Occupation and unjust prison system. An estimated 11,000 Palestinian political prisoners are behind bars in Israel jails.

The women of Jenin have invited international and Israeli solidarity activists to join them in their struggle this Prisoner’s Day. The Public Committee for the Freedom of Prisoners, along with 18 other local committees and establishments of Jenin, are expected to participate in the events.

The non-violent demonstrators will meet near the Red Cross building in the center of Jenin at 10 am. A bus will be waiting to send media representatives to the Salim checkpoint. The demonstrators will then march to the checkpoint where the women and committee members will give speeches regarding the conditions of the prisoners and demanding their release.

Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti recently held a press conference where he highlighted the case of Palestinian political prisoners. He said that 10,400 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli jails in contravention of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. 4,575 prisoners (46 %) have not undergone trial and 950 (10%) are being held in administrative detention which means that prisoners have not been charged, can be held for up to 6 months, which can then be renewed indefinitely. 376 children under the age of 18 and 118 women are currently in Israeli jails. 95 percent of Palestinian prisoners have reported being subjected to various forms of torture and 183 prisoners have died in Israeli jails.
For more information, contact:

Akram, 0599-318-530
ISM Media Office, 02-297-1824, 0599-943-157