Tag: Prisoner

Palestinian youth welcome former detainees to Gaza in “Prisoners Uprising”

22 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza

Fifty Palestinian youth marched from Gaza’s International Committee of the Red Cross compound to the Commodore Gaza and Al-Quds International Hotels, celebrating the release of 477 political prisoners Tuesday and welcoming those exiled to Gaza, who are currently housed in the hotels.

The demonstration ended in the Al-Nour Cultural Center, where four exiled prisoners, as well as the son of a current prisoner from Gaza, addressed the crowd.

“We are trying to awaken youth about the situation of the prisoners through ongoing activities,” said Majed Abusalama, one of the organizers of the event.

“This is peaceful cultural resistance,” he said. “We want to pressure the international community to take action for the rights of Palestinian prisoners.”

Abusalama added that the group hoped to hold weekly events calling attention to Palestinian political prisoners detained by Israel.

On Monday, the human rights organizations ADDAMEER and Al-Haq warned that Israel’s exile of Palestinian prisoners “violate[s] Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits forcible transfers and deportations of protected persons, a proscription that is part of customary international humanitarian law.

“Unlawful deportation or transfer also constitutes a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention (GC IV) and qualifies as one of the most serious war crimes,” the groups said in a joint statement.

In Photos: Ad Dhahariya and Shuwika plant resistance

11 October 2011  | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

At 1 PM a demonstration went from the solidarity tent assembled for the prisoners strike in Ad Dhahariya to the nearby village of Shuwika to plant trees. The demonstration was a solidarity action with the prisoners and also a protest against recent settler assaults in Shuweika where 120 olive trees were cut down.

While the demonstrators were planting olive and eucalyptus trees, soldiers and settlers came down from the nearby outpost of Shima’a and threw sound bombs, firing tear gas at the demonstrators.

A few demonstrators went to the valley dividing Shuwika from the outpost to try to remove stones placed by settlers which formed a star of David as a symbol of conquering Palestinian land. They were shot at directly withtear gas from the Israeli Occupation Forces.

Two soldiers descended from the hill and stole the Palestinian flags placed in the valley, burning one flag while confiscating the other.

After an hour of protesting suddenly the soldiers ran towards the demonstrators, pointing their guns while running and chasing the them for one kilometer back to the Shuweika village.

While leaving the protest, a demonstrator said, “This was the first time in Shuweika [where we had] a protest like this, but hopefully it will be an ongoing event like Ni’lin and Nabi Saleh.”

In the past month there has been an increase of settler violence towards the Shuweika villagers. Not only did the settlers from the Shima’a outpost destroy olive trees from the village, but they also threatened and harassed shepherds herding sheep near the valley.

Demonstration in Ad Dhaharriya - Click here for more images

Internationals in Gaza join hunger strike for Palestinian prisoner rights

11 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza

For Immediate Release:

Three foreign nationals residing in Gaza have entered their fifth day of an open-ended hunger strike and protest encampment in front of the ICRC.

The internationals are available for interview.

Vera Macht, Germany, stated: “The situation of Palestinian prisoners is truly heartbreaking. Parents are separated from their children, and wives from their husbands, for years, without so much as a letter or video.” [I removed the “said Vera Macht” part, since you didn’t use it for the others and it’s really unnecessary]

Silvia Todeschini, Italy, stated: “They have been on strike for over two weeks with very basic demands. We will strike with them, and hope that this will help to stop the world’s silence about their situation.”

Joe Catron, United States, stated: “Palestinian prisoners are bravely resisting a system that seeks to crush them, their families, their communities, and their national life. Their struggle deserves our full support.”

An open-ended hunger strike was announced by Palestinian prisoners on 27 September. The prisoners are demanding better conditions, an end to isolation and degradation by Israeli prison guards, and for a change in the policy that denies many prisoners the right to have visitors. Additionally, many prisoners are calling for the release of Ahmad Sa’adat, a political prisoner and former General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Palestinian officials estimate that 2,000 prisoners have joined the hunger strike.

In Gaza, hundreds have been gathering in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on a daily basis to demonstrate for prisoner rights. Protesters have maintained a permanent encampment in and around the ICRC courtyard since Sunday, 2 October.

Additionally, Palestinian activists in Gaza have called for international supporters to join the hunger strike for 24 hours on Wednesday, 12 October, and use Twitter to publicize their participation and solidarity (See: Electronic Intifada).

All hunger strikers are asked to tweet “My name is ( ) and I will go on a hunger strike on Wednesday in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners. #TweepStrike #HS4Palestine.”

#TweepStrike: A call from Gaza to support Palestinian prisoners

11 October 2011 | The Electronic Intifada, Rana Baker

In solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held under harsh conditions in Israel’s jails, a new twitter trend emerged today from Gaza. The trend is #TweepStrike and is an open invitation to everyone across the globe to go on a hunger strike on Wednesday Oct. 12th.

A few months ago, I was on visit to one of the prisoners’ families. With moist eyes and a shaky voice the prisoner’s mother told me that she had, for many times, tried to visit her son but “Mr. Kalb,” Mr. dog, had always been there to turn her back home.

My instinct told me then that Mr. Kalb must be a nickname of a cruel Israeli officer. I was wrong.

Join the #TweepStrike

“Mr. Kalb is a huge police dog and he is responsible for the prison’s visits.” She had told me. “According to his mood, we’re either allowed to see our loved ones or ordered to escort ourselves back home. If Mr. Kalb is in a bad mood and barks a lot, we have to understand that visits are not allowed, if he is friendly, officers will let us in” her explanation followed.

To be humiliated to such extent, to be jailed without reason (as most cases have proved to be), and to prevent ICRC experts from testing jails’ conditions are nothing but illegal acts of a racist state that enjoys severe impunity and support of world powers, ahead  of them of course,  the United States.

Because Palestinian prisoners are denied their rights stipulated in international law and the Geneva accords, we have decided to turn this coming Wednesday into a day of solidarity with nearly 11,000 Palestinian prisoners jailed under harsh conditions.

To spread the word out we are using the following form to state our intention to join the strike:

My name is ( ___________ ) and I will go on a hunger strike on Wednesday in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners.  #TweepStrike #HS4Palestine .