UFree, the European Network to Support the Rights of Palestinian Prisoners, has launched the following petition.
Take action and sign on here today:http://ufree-p.net/Details.aspx?Type_ID=3&Rotator_ID=168
Petition in Solidarity with Palestinian Political Prisoners and Detainees in Israeli jails
The cause of Palestinian and Arab political prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails is now more critical than ever, urgently requiring immediate international support.
Thousands of Palestinian political prisoners have started an open-ended hunger strike appealing for urgent and immediate international support to alleviate their suffering. Many of these Palestinian and Arab prisoners have been imprisoned illegally, deprived of their primary rights and liberties guaranteed by Human Rights and Geneva conventions.
The Israeli occupation has continued to violate any obligations imposed on them by international law and international conventions. The International community now holds Israel to account for its blatant violations of human rights laws which includes subjecting Palestinian prisoners to the following:
1. Torture, cruel, inhumane, degrading treatment and psychological pressure for the purpose of extorting confessions
2. Unfair military trials
3. Depriving family and relatives from visiting them, especially relatives from Gaza, whom have not seen their loved ones for almost 6 years.
4. Long detention periods without trials, such as administrative detention. This is often extended for several years. This form of illegal detention is used only by Israel and is not used anywhere else in the world.
5. Solitary confinement to inflict undue mental, moral and psychological suffering on the detainees-breaking their spirit and damaging their psyche.
6. Medical negligence which in turn leads to rapid deterioration of prisoners’ health putting their lives at risk. Many prisoners suffer from chronic illnesses which are left untreated.
7. Depriving them of medical treatment. This is especially harmful for those inmates who have been admitted into hospital after continuous hunger strikes. This could result in their death unless the international community and human rights organisations exert real pressure on the Israeli occupation and put an end to their suffering.
Thousands of the Palestinian and Arab prisoners have been subjected to the above violations for a very long time. Key public figures including members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, politicians and activists are amongst those arrested. All these political prisoners and detainees now need your urgent support to help bring an end to their suffering.
We, the undersigned below, from Europe and elsewhere, declare our solidarity with the political prisoners and detainees in the Israeli jails. We declare that we hear and respond to their plight and we in turn condemn the Israeli violations against them and demand the following:
1. The international community, especially, the EU parliament and its member states to support the issue of the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails, to give this issue priority and raise awareness and support to bring an end to their plight.
2. To launch an international solidarity campaign supporting the Rights of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
3. To enable the International committee of the Red Cross and other independent human rights organisations to access the Israeli jails and inspect the prisoners living conditions.
4. To establish a European fact-finding mission to examine the living conditions of the prisoners in the Israeli jails.
5. To exert their influence in order to pressure the Israeli government to stop the daily imprisonment campaigns and to give up its systematic torture against prisoners.
6. To impose restrictive measures against the Israelis that would deter them if they failed to respect the international conventions and comply with the human rights’ standards in dealing with the prisoners.
In the end, we pledge our support to the prisoners and their families. We will not stop until their plight and suffering is lifted and their rights returned to them. Finally we call upon the international community to urgently support this cause and give it the attention it so desperately needs.
