In the early morning of 29 December, Israeli military forces raided the offices of Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies and Human Rights in Nablus, confiscating computers, fax machines and all of the center’s documents and files on Palestinian prisoners and ordering the center closed until further notice. Click here to take action and defend Ahrar Center and other Palestinian rights defenders!
Ma’an News reported that the invading soldiers posted a letter ordering Ahrar Center closed. Fouad al-Khuffash, the center’s director, called the attack “an attempt to silence the voice that exposes all Israeli violations of prisoners’ rights and human rights.”
This comes as part of an ongoing attack on defenders of Palestinian prisoners’ rights, including invasions of organizations’ offices (such as Addameer) and confiscation of documents and computers; and mass arrests of prisoner advocates like Khalida Jarrar, Bushra al-Tawil, and Ayman Nasser, lawyers like Shireen Issawi, and staff members of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society and other organizations.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network denounces the attack on Ahrar Center and stands in solidarity with Ahrar and its work to free all Palestinian prisoners. We demand the immediate return of Ahrar’s equipment and files and the reopening of Ahrar’s office.
1.Click here to send a statement of protest to Israeli officials in support of Ahrar Center and other human rights defenders and demanding the return of their materials and the reopening of their office. Make it clear that these attacks are visible to people around the world.
2. Protest at the Israeli consulate or embassy in your area. Bring posters and flyers about administrative detention and Palestinian hunger strikers and hold a protest, or join a protest with this important information. Hold a community event or discussion, or include this issue in your next event about Palestine and social justice. Please email us at samidoun@samidoun.net to inform us of your action – we will publicize and share news with the prisoners.
3. Boycott, Divest and Sanction. Hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. Don’t buy Israeli goods, and campaign to end investments in corporations that profit from the occupation. G4S, a global security corporation, is heavily involved in providing services to Israeli prisons that jail Palestinian political prisoners – there is a global call to boycott it. Palestinian political prisoners have issued a specific call urging action on G4S. Learn more about BDS a tbdsmovement.net.
I write today in condemnation of Israeli forces’ invasion and attack on the offices of Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies and Human Rights in Nablus and the military order for the closure of the center. Ahrar Center are human rights defenders, engaged in internationally protected advocacy for Palestinians held behind bars.
People around the world can see that Israeli forces are attacking defenders of prisoners’ rights at the same time that they are carrying out mass arrests and massively escalating the use of administrative detention without charge or trial. We demand the immediate return of Ahrar Center’s computers, files and equipment, the immediate reopening of the Center, an an end to the attacks on Palestinian human rights defenders.
Sincerely,
