Palestinian mother and daughter Rusaila Shamasneh, 48, and Sara Shamasneh, 14, will be released on Sunday, 25 February from Israeli occupation prisons. The Shamasneh women are the mother and sister, respectively of Mohammed Shamasneh, 23, who was killed by Israeli occupation forces in 2016. They were seized from their home in Qatana in occupied Jerusalem by occupation forces who raided their home on 31 January.
During their detention, Rusaila Shamasneh conducted a hunger strike for 17 days against her forcible separation from her young daughter until she and Sara were sentenced to 40 days in prison on Monday, 20 February. Both Shamasneh and Sara were accused of “incitement” for their statements at the funeral of their son and brother over two years ago; Rusaila was also accused of firing a gun into the air. Mohammed participated in an armed resistance operation in which he seized a gun of an Israeli occupation soldier. Sara was only 12 years old at the time.
Nevertheless, over two years later, occupation forces invaded their home and seized mother and daughter. Rusaila Shamasneh’s hunger strike served as a strong mechanism of pressure on the Israeli occupation, continuing until their sentencing. Their lawyer then appealed for their early release, which is being implemented today.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network salutes the resistance and steadfastness of Rusaila and Sara Shamasneh and their fellow Palestinian prisoners, and we demand the release of every Palestinian prisoner held behind Israeli bars – and the freedom of Palestine and its people.
