Tag: Prisoner - Page 21 - International Solidarity Movement

Activists remove section of apartheid wall in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners

17th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah, Occupied Palestine

This Palestinian Prisoners Day, the 17^th April 2013, Palestinian and international activists cut down a fenced section of the Israeli apartheid wall in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli occupation jails. A section of around ten metres was torn down near Ofer prison, where Palestinian prisoners can be tried in military court or held by Israeli forces.

Army arrive as protesters cut down Apartheid Wall. Photo by Hamdi Abu Rahma

Protesters wearing surgical masks conducted a swift and efficient action against the Wall – a symbol and physical expression of apartheid – aiming to send a message to the Israeli authorities that the Palestinian people will “never agree to have Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.”

After around ten minutes, one Israeli army jeep arrived in the buffer zone behind the separation barrier and a single sound grenade was thrown at protesters, who left shortly afterwards, having completed their action.

Protesters wore shirts with the image of Bassem Abu Rahma of Bil’in, who was also protesting the cause of prisoners on 17^th April, four years ago when he was killed by Israeli forces.

Palestinian prisoners are treated brutally under the Israeli occupation. Many are mistreated or tortured during detention and arrested on false or fabricated charges. Others are held under administrative detention laws, which mean that they can be imprisoned indefinitely without charge or trial. According to Addameer, there are currently 4,936 Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails, including 178 administrative detainees, many of whom are held in Ofer.

This Palestinian Prisoners Day we remember Bassem Abu Rahma who was murdered four years ago today

17th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

Today is Palestinian Prisoners Day which also marks the 4th anniversary of the death of Bassam Abu Rahma and the 270th day of Samer Issawi’s hunger strike. These two events perfectly illustrate the ongoing perseverance of the Palestinian peoples relentless struggle for peace, justice , freedom and dignity. They also illustrate the Israeli army’s excessive and often lethal use of force against peaceful and unarmed demonstrators throughout the West Bank and Gaza.

In 2009 Bassam Abu Rahma was shot at close range in the chest with a high velocity tear gas canister , which are designed to penetrate concrete walls and gas those inside. He was shot as he walked towards Israeli soldiers whilst holding his hands up the air. He was marching for his Palestinian comrades being held in various Israeli prisons and detention centers without charge or trial and the expansion of settlements around his village of Bil`in.

Samer Issawi has been on hunger strike in an Israeli detention center for 270 days, one of the longest hunger strikes in history. He has refused Israeli offers to be exiled to Gaza and other UN countries , firmly asserting that he will either be released to his home in Jerusalem or starve to death.

Palestinian Prisoner Day was founded to remind the world of the thousands of Palestinian political prisoners imprisoned in Israeli prisons or detention centers without charge or trial for extensive periods of time. The International Solidarity Movement, in solidarity with the Palestinian people and political prisoners everywhere call for the immediate release of such prisoners and for international pressure to be put on Israel for its numerous breaches of international law.

Youth Against Settlements Co-ordinator Issa Amro arrested

10th of April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

The co-ordinator of Youth Against Settlements Issa Amro was arrested yesterday at the Qiryat Araba settlement in Hebron. He was summoned to the police station at which point he was interrogated and arrested. He is being charged with “Incitement of terrorism” and is being tried today at Ofer prison in Ramallah.
Issawi Amro Co-ordinator of Youth Against Settlements

Issa is a prominent activist and organiser of non violent demonstrations in actions in Hebron. He was also arrested several weeks ago along with three internationals and two Palestinians for taking part in a demonstration on Shuhada street where activists walked down the road wearing Martin Luther King and Barack Obama masks to mark the visit of the US president to the West Bank. After his release he was banned from walking in the area of Tel Rumeida for two weeks.

International arrested at non-violent demonstration in support of Samer Issawi

8th April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement,Beit Omar, Occupied Palestine

by Team Khalil

A Swedish activist was arrested by Israeli border police this afternoon at a non- violent demonstration in Beit Omar. He was taken to the police station at Gush Etzion settlement and detained for two hours before being released.

A demonstrator holds a sign in support of hunger striker Samer Issawi

The demonstration was held in support of Samer Issawi, a Palestinian political prisoner who has been on hunger strike for over 250 days in Israeli administrative detention without charge. Israeli soldiers also confiscated two other internationals’ passports at the non-violent demonstration. Soldiers harassed the small group of demonstrators, restricting their movement by surrounding and pushing them. One soldier threw a sound bomb at a lone demonstrator as he started walking away from the demonstration.

Demonstrators hold signs in support of hunger striker Samer Issawi

Funeral procession for two young boys killed by the Israeli army in ‘Anabta

4th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, ‘Anabta, Occupied Palestine

by Team Nablus

On Thursday 4 April the village of ‘Anabta, near Tulkarem buried two of their young men. Amer Nassar, 17 and Naji al-Balbisi, 18 were shot dead by the Israeli Army at the Enav checkpoint late on Wednesday evening.

Amer Nassars body in the morgue. Photo by WAFA News

Despite reports last night that Naji had escaped the Army gunfire, he was found by the Red Crescent medics on Thursday morning after a phone call from the Israeli Army.

Last night Amer was shot in the chest and the Israeli Army prevented his fellow villagers attempts to reach him
resulting in Fadi Abu-A’sr being shot in the arm. Naji was shot in the back, indicating he was running away from the soldiers, which accords with reports taken from witnesses.

The funeral procession was joined by the entire village including Khader Adnan and fellow former hunger striking prisoners. To date there has been no information from the Israeli Army about the fate of Deiyaa’ Nassar, despite reports he was injured at the time of his arrest. His family have been unable to obtain any information from the Army on his condition or whereabouts.

The Army regularly arrest Palestinians, holding them for up to 8 days without access to a lawyer, adequate medical attention or contact with their families. This detention can continue indefinitely and has sparked the mass hunger strikes from prisoners such as Khader and the current hunger striker Samer Al-Issawi, who is in a critical condition after refusing food for over 250 days.

This escalation in violence is a familiar pattern for Palestinians. In recent months the Israeli security forces killed Arafat Jaradat as a result of interrogation tactics. The murder of Amer and Naji and arrest of Deiyaa’, also comes a day after the prisoner Maisara Abu Hamdiyeh died as a result of medical neglect.

Funeral procession today in 'Anabta - photo credit ISM — Funeral procession today in ‘Anabta – photo credit ISM