There are currently six Palestinian prisoners engaged in hunger strikes inside Israeli prison. They are striking against administrative detention, imprisonment without charge and without trial, indefinitely renewable for periods of up to six months at a time. These prisoners have been on hunger strike for weeks and are suffering from severe health consequences; their bodies and lives are on the line to demand their freedom. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges all supporters of freedom and justice to take action and join the campaign to support Hossam al-Ruzza and his fellow hunger strikers for justice and liberation.
See below for flyers, posters and campaign materials that you can use in your community!
Hossam al-Ruzza, 61, from Nablus, has been on hunger strike for 42 days, since 19 March. He is imprisoned without charge or trial under administrative detention. During his strike, his weight has dropped from 86 kg (189 lbs) to 61 kg (134 lbs) and is continuing to decline. His family reported that he had been transferred to a hospital due to deterioration in his health condition after earlier being moved to isolation in Nitzan Ramleh.
He has been imprisoned without charge or trial for a year and launched his hunger strike on 19 March. He already suffers from a number of serious health concerns, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Over the years, he has spent 18 years in Israeli prisons, 11 of those years in administrative detention.
Mohammed Tabanja, 38, also from Nablus, has been jailed without charge or trial under administrative detention since 28 June 2018. His strike was launched on 25 March, 35 days ago, after his detention was renewed once again by the Israeli occupation military courts. He is married with two children.
Hassan al-Oweiwi, 35, from al-Khalil, has been on hunger strike for 29 days, since 2 April against his imprisonment without charge or trial. Israeli occupation forces invaded his home on 15 January before ordering him to administrative detention. He is married with three children, and his family have been desperate for information about his condition and whereabouts. They noted that some released prisoners reported that he was being held in isolation in the Ramle prison clinic. He has previously spent time in administrative detention and was imprisoned for three years by the Israeli occupation.
Odeh al-Hroub, 32, from Dura, al-Khalil, has also been on hunger strike for 29 days, since 2 April. He has been jailed without charge or trial since December 2018, and the renewal of his imprisonment on the basis of secret evidence led him to launch his hunger strike for freedom. He is a former prisoner who has spent several years in Israeli jails.
Mohammed al-Himouni, 36, from al-Khalil, has been imprisoned by the Israeli occupation since 25 Febuary, when armed occupation soldiers invaded his home. He was handcuffed, blindfolded and beaten while being taken to the detention center and, shortly thereafter, he was ordered to four months in administrative detention without charge or trial. During his interrogation, he was accused of communicating with his own brother, Basil, a former prisoner released to Gaza in the Wafa’ al-Ahrar prisoner exchange.
He has been on hunger strike for his freedom for 33 days since 27 March, his family reports. He is the father of two children and his wife is currently pregnant. He has lost 16 kilograms (34 lbs) of weight so far during his strike; he was previously jailed for over six years over separate sentences.
Mohammed Mteir, 24, from Qalandiya refugee camp, launched his hunger strike 9 days ago, on 20 March. He hs been jailed without charge or trial since 12 January, and he was previously detained for over three years before his current stint in administrative detention.
Earlier, Khaled Farraj, 31, a Palestinian refugee from the Dheisheh camp, carried out a hunger strike for 23 days before reaching an agreement for the end of his administrative detention. He suspended his strike after concluding an agreement for his release from imprisonment without charge or trial on 23 October 2019; he has been imprisoned since 23 January 2018.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges all to stand with these courageous prisoners who have put their lives on the line to seek freedom and an end to the unjust system of administrative detention. International solidarity can help them win their struggles, so all of our participation, protests, petitions and phone calls can play a role in helping them to seize victory for justice and freedom.
Take action!
1) Organize or join an event or protest for the Palestinian prisoners. You can organize an info table, rally, solidarity hunger strike, protest or action to support the prisoners. If you are already holding an event about Palestine or social justice, include solidarity with the prisoners as part of your action. Send your events and reports to samidoun@samidoun.net.
2) Write letters and make phone calls to protest the violation of Palestinian prisoners’ rights. Demand your government take action to stop supporting Israeli occupation or to pressure the Israeli state to end the policies of repression of Palestinian political prisoners. In particular, demand that your political officials put pressure on Israel to end the policy of administrative detention, the imprisonment of Palestinians without charge or trial.
Call during your country’s regular office hours:
• Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne: + 61 2 6277 7500
• Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland: +1-613-992-5234
• European Union Commissioner Federica Mogherini: +32 (0) 2 29 53516
• New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters: +64 4 439 8000
• United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt: +44 20 7008 1500
• United States President Donald Trump: 1-202-456-1111
3) Boycott, Divest and Sanction. Join the BDS campaign to highlight the complicity of corporations like Hewlett-Packard and the continuing involvement of G4S in Israeli policing and prisons. Build a campaign to boycott Israeli goods, impose a military embargo on Israel, or organize around the academic and cultural boycott of Israel. Learn more about the BDS campaign at bdsmovement.net.
Downloadable materials:
Flyer on the hunger strikes: Download PDF
Download: Poster/Sign – Free All Palestinian Prisoners
Download: Poster/Sign: Free Hunger Strikers and All Prisoners
