Palestinian prisoner Nayef Radwan, 42, who has been re-arrested since his release in the Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner exchange since 15 June 2014, had two life sentences plus 30 years reimposed upon him by an Israeli military court on Monday, 26 December. Radwan, from Ramallah, was one of dozens of former prisoners released in the 2011 exchange with the Palestinian resistance re-arrested in 2014.
Re-arrested former prisoners can be subjected to the imposition of their previous sentences on the basis of secret evidence that can include information such as contact with “prohibited organizations,” including most major Palestinian political parties. Radwan already spent 17 years in Israeli prisons before his release in 2011. There are 57 previously released prisoners from the 2011 agreement currently imprisoned, and many have had lengthy prior sentences reimposed.
Radwan had been released in July 2014 on conditions of not leaving his hometown of Qibya and reporting each Thursday to an occupation police station. His family noted that he had gone several times to the military court as happened on Monday, but that they were surprised to see him immediately imprisoned and his former sentence reimposed.
Another former prisoner, Nael Barghouthi, was subjected to the imposition of a 30-month sentence. The 30 month period expired in early December, but he remains imprisoned because the military prosecution is demanding the re-imposition of his prior life sentence on the basis of secret evidence. Barghouthi will face a new hearing on this issue on 3 January 2017, at the request of his defense.
Addameer has urged international action to free Nael Barghouthi. Samidoun joins the call to:
TAKE ACTION!
• Organize an event/demonstration in your school, university or college campuses calling for the release of Palestinian prisoner Nael Barghouti
• Write to your local elected officials and members of parliament to call upon the Israeli government to release Mr. Bargouti;
• Send a letter to an Israeli official in English or your own language, calling them to immediately release Mr. Bargouti and to end his arbitrary detention.
