Support Palestinian Prisoners on Hunger Strike
UFree ACTION ALERT: Support Palestinian Prisoners on Hunger Strike! (Updated)
PRESS RELEASE – Monday 10 October 2011
For immediate release
See also: Fayyad rallies support for prisoners’ hunger strike
UFree Prisoner hunger strike campaign marks an impact
Last week, UFree launched a mass campaign aimed at Parliamentarians and Human rights NGOs to mobilise support for Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike against the cruel and degrading conditions they are subjected to by the Israeli Prisons Service and its complete violations of international law.
Since then, it has received a number of positive queries from British MPs who are interested in learning about why the Prisoners are striking and how they are treated in prison.
Amnesty International group and UFree both agreed to campaign for justice and equality for the prisoners – UFree has provided Amnesty group with reports on the details of the strike and the violations of human rights that are occurring and case studies on Palestinian prisoners.
UFree has launched an online petition is support of the Prisoners on hunger strike and will be lobbying British MPs to table a motion when Parliament resumes.
The chair of UFree, Mohammed Hamdan, said ‘the world must no longer ignore the complete disregard for international laws and conventions by the Israeli occupation’. He called for all champions of human rights to support the Prisoners by – signing the petition, writing to the Israeli Embassy in their countries, contacting their Members of Parliament and raising awareness about the strike via social networks.
If you would like to add your support, please email us at: campaigns@ufree-p.net.
Support Palestinians hunger strike petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/supportpalestinianshungerstrike
Note to editors: UFree is an independent European-wide human rights network; set up to defend the rights of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
ENDS
What you can also do:
- Contact the Israeli embassy or consulate in your country and demand the immediate release of Palestinian political prisoners.
- Distribute UFree special report >>SpecialReport_Unlawful Combatants_Excuse for Indefinite Detention without Charge
- Write to human rights organisations asking them to act swiftly to demand that all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees are freed from punitive isolation.
- Email the International Committee of the Red Cross whose humanitarian mission includes monitoring the conditions of prisoners, at jerusalem.jer@icrc.org,efillion@icrc.org
Note to editors:
UFree is an independent European-wide human rights network; set up to defend the rights of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
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6/10/2011
UFree ACTION ALERT: Palestinian prisoners hunger continues:
On September 27th, Palestinian prisoners began an open-ended hunger strike, as a form of protest and civil disobedience against the cruel and degrading treatment they receive from the Israeli prison service.
Since the announcement by Netanyahu of ‘punitive measures’ for prisoners in June this year, the already dire conditions of prisoners have deteriorated rapidly, in order to collectively punishing all 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners for the incarceration of the IDF soldier Shalit.
These includes the denial of basic human rights such as medicines and education; long term isolation of elected members of the Palestinian legislature – some for up to ten years; refusal of family visits and the shackling of hands and legs when meeting family and lawyers. Excessive fines are also used to punish prisoners, who are also denied reading material, subjected to night searches in cells and refused basic healthcare.
Israel’s so-called ‘Administrative law’ has continued the practice of holding Palestinians for unspecified period of time without charge, including children, who are often left traumatised as a result.
Journalists have been denied their right to freedom of expression and right of movement .Twenty one Palestinian MP’s are currently detained, and are unable to fulfil their mandate to their electorate.
It is clear that Palestinian prisoners are being denied their most basic rights enshrined in international humanitarian law.
The Israeli authorities must meet the demands of the Palestinian prisoners before the situation becomes critical.
What can YOU do?
Show your support for Palestinian prisoners, especially those on hunger strike by:
- Signing the Ufree petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/supportpalestinianshungerstrike/
And share the link on Facebook and twitter
- Use our model letter below to email the Israeli Embassy – or, write your own
- Contact your MP and ask them to raise this issue in Parliament and the Foreign Office
- The demands of the prisoners are simple – to be afforded their basic rights. Please do all you can to help make this happen.
Contact UFree if you need help with campaigning or information or simply you have questions about our work.
In solidarity,
UFree Network
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Model letter to the Israeli Embassy
Re: Palestinian prisoners hunger strike since 27 September 2011
I write to express my concern about the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli run prisons, who have been protesting by undertaking a hunger strike since September 27th, demanding an end to the cruel and degrading treatment they are subjected to at the hands of the Israeli Prison Service.
Since the announcement by PM Netanyahu of ‘punitive measures’ in June, the treatment of Palestinian prisoners have deteriorated rapidly.
Amongst the conditions faced by prisoners is the lack of access to medicines and education; the shackling of hands and legs when going to see visitors; subjected to night searches; refused basic healthcare, reading material and family visits.
The practice of arresting Palestinians without charge for unspecified amounts of time – including 21 MPs chosen by the Palestinian electorate, young children and journalists, which is a clear violation of international law.
The demands of the Palestinian prisoners are:
- End the abusive use of isolation
- End restrictions on further and higher education studies in the prisons
- End the denial of books and newspapers
- End the shackling to and from meetings with lawyers and family members
- Re-install all TV channels
- End the excessive use of fines as punishment
- And ultimately end all forms of collective punishment, including the refusal of family visits, night searches of prisoners’ cells, and the denial of basic health treatment.
Please pass my concerns on to the Israeli authorities.
Regards,
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Sign Online petition powered by UFree Network:
Click here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/supportpalestinianshungerstrike/
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Monday 3/10/2011
Campaign to support Hunger Strike of Palestinian Prisoners
As Israeli military measures are escalating against Palestinian prisoners, moves are taking place in prisoners to resist the illegal Israel practices. A hunger strike has been staged across Israeli prisons which illegally keep thousands of Palestinian prisoners.
Late in September, Palestinian Prisoners and detainees started an open hunger strike to demand an end to the ever increasing humiliating and degrading treatment at the hands of Israel’s prisons services (IPS). The move of the prisoners is sweeping a number of prisons across the occupied territories where Israel is imposing a blackout what’s going on.
The hunger strike also aims at paying the world’s attention to the ongoing violation of human rights against Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli prisons. Additionally, it is to expose Israel practices of arbitrary administrative detention, torture, abuse, isolation and solitary confinement.
More importantly, the Palestinian vivid democracy is being targeted by the Israel. Palestinian political leaders and Parliament members have been subjected to isolation as well as thousands of Palestinian hostages including child and woman prisoners.
In contradiction of basic Human laws, Israeli authorities neglect the suffering of prisoners which results in them having chronic diseases and medical problems. Such crisis is not even challenged by Israel as it doesn’t even provide sufficient health care or enough medications.
Prisoners are calling for the release of prisoners from isolation cells, some of whom have been kept in isolation units for ten years. They also aim at the ending collective punishment against them including the shackling of hands and feet when family and lawyers visit.
There are currently approximately 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails, including women, children and elected politicians. Many of them are held for long periods without charge, denying families their breadwinners.
UFree call on Human Rights Organizations to immediately interfere and protect the prisoners. The organizations assert that prisoners should have their basic human rights as enshrined by all human accords especially those which deals with prisoners.
UFree is preparing to launch a mass campaign to NGOs, politicians and MPs and an online petition in support of the hunger strike. The campaign also aims at familiarizing the European mainstream about the suffering of the Palestinian prisoners.
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Saturday 1/10/11
Palestinian detainees inside Israeli jails continued their open ended hunger strike for the fifth day in a row to protest against Israeli aggressive policy against them.
Local sources reported that Israeli prison’s administration transferred a number of Palestinian detainees to unknown destinations in an attempt to break up their open hunger strike.
Sources added that Naqab detainees also joined the hunger strike, and some prisoners refused to take their medication until Israeli prisons authorities respond to their demands.
Minister of Prisoners Affairs, Issa Qaraqe, said that solidarity demonstrations will be organised next Monday in different parts of the Palestinian territories in support for all Palestinian detainees.
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Palestinians detained in Israeli occupation jails have announced their intent to begin an open-ended hunger strike to demand an end to the ever increasing humiliating and degrading treatment at the hands of Israel’s prisons services (IPS), starting on September 27th.
Prisoners are calling for the release of prisoners from isolation, some of whom have been kept in isolation units for ten years; the end of collective punishment – including the shackling of hands and feet when family and lawyers visit; access to healthcare and education are amongst the demands too.
Hunger strike is one of the few methods of nonviolent resistance available to Palestinian prisoners, who have been protesting against their unfair treatment – such as lack medicines and decent food for years. Since the announcement of punitive measures by Netanyahu in June, the situation has deteriorated rapidly.
There are currently approximately 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails, including women, children and elected politicians. Many of them are held for long periods without charge, denying families their breadwinners.
TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT PALESTINIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS!
- Contact the ‘Israeli embassy’ or consulate in your country and demand the immediate release of Palestinian political prisoners.
- Distribute UFree special report >>SpecialReport_Unlawful Combatants_Excuse for Indefinite Detention without Charge
- Write to human rights organisations asking them to act swiftly to demand that all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees are freed from punitive isolation.
- Email the International Committee of the Red Cross whose humanitarian mission includes monitoring the conditions of prisoners, at jerusalem.jer@icrc.org,efillion@icrc.org
Fayyad rallies support for prisoners’ hunger strike
Published 10 October 20:24
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Monday called for the UN to support Palestinian prisoners’ rights in Israel, as he visited sit-in tents in solidarity with a detainees’ hunger strike.
Fayyad, chief of the Ramallah-based government, expressed sympathy for strikers, saying their refusal of food since Sept. 27 was “means to express their rejection to the practices of the occupation that denies them basic human rights,” a government press statement said.
Addressing protesters who have camped in Ramallah’s center and the Red Crescent compound in the al-Bireh district to support the strike, Fayyad called for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN institutions to stand by the prisoners.
“The greatest injustice is keeping them in detention against international convention and norms,” he said.
The statement said protests would be held at Israel’s Ofer jail on Tuesday, and a general strike in the West Bank on Wednesday.
Prisoners have refused food in Israeli jails for 14 days to protest against worsening conditions, including solitary confinement, shackling and prevention of family visits.
Thousands of demonstrators staged rallies in the West Bank and Jerusalem and set up sit-in tents this week to support prisoners who are refusing food.