Protest in Al-Khalil marks eight year anniversary of Jericho assault

asaadatThe Palestinian Prisoners’ Society in al-Khalil held a sit-in on Saturday, March 15, marking the eighth anniversary of the attack on Jericho prison and the kidnapping of Palestinian leader and PFLP General Secretary Ahmad Sa’adat and his comrades, Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh, Hamdi Qur’an, Basil al-Asmar and Majdi Rimawi, and the struggler Fouad Shubaki.

The rally called for their freedom and the freedom of Yasser Abu Turki, leader of the Al-Aqsa Brigades in al-Khalil. Palestinian political organizations, the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees and other local institutions participated in the gathering. Amjad Najjar of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society condemned the role of Britain and the United States, who were responsible for protecting the prisoners held in Jericho, and who were fully complicit in thee attack on Jericho. He urged the United Nations to open this file and convene an international investigation committee, and called for the freedom of these prisoners.

Badran Jaber of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said, “We recall that dark day when the Zionist forces launched their assault and kidnapping of the Secretary-General of the PFLP, the militant Ahmed Saadat and his comrades from the Jericho prison. This is one chapter of the continuous Zionist aggression against our people, and further evidence of the terrorist practices of the enemy.”

Representatives of Fateh, the Democratic Front and the People’s Party also spoke at the event, noting that the kidnapping and attack was a violation of international law.