#FreeKhitamSaafin – Take action and join the growing campaign to free imprisoned Palestinian feminist leader

16 November 2020

Detained Palestinian feminist and women’s organizer Khitam Saafin was ordered by an Israeli military commander to six months in administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial, on 9 November 2020. The President of the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, Saafin was seized by Israeli occupation forces from her home in occupied Beitunia along with six other Palestinian activists and human rights defenders on 2 November 2020.

Follow and share our campaign page at http://freekhitamsaafin.org/!

Download resources at: https://bit.ly/KhitamResources

She was last arrested by Israeli occupation forces in 2017, when she was ordered to three months in administrative detention — leading to a global outcry. We urge all supporters of justice in Palestine and women’s organizing to speak out and protest to demand freedom for Khitam Saafin and her fellow Palestinian women prisoners.

Khitam Saafin is a well-known international advocate for Palestinian women and freedom and justice for the Palestinian people. She has spoken around the world about the struggle of Palestinian women, including at the World Social Forum, and served as chair of the Global Women’s March Palestine.

Administrative detention, a practice first introduced to Palestine by the British colonial mandate, imprisons Palestinians without charge or trial on the basis of a so-called “secret file.” Even the detainee’s lawyer is denied access to any of the contents of this file; instead, it is simply asserted by the Israeli occupation military commander. These detention orders are issued for up to six months at a time and are indefinitely renewable; Palestinians routinely spend years a a time jailed under administrative detention. There are currently approximately 370 Palestinian prisoners held under administrative detention orders, among approximately 4500 Palestinian political prisoners in total.

Join the Social Media Storm: Monday, 16 November!

On Monday, 16 November, join us and speak out as Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network joins the US Palestinian Community Network, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and the National Lawyers Guild
for our social media storm to demand the immediate release of beloved and important Palestinian feminist leader and the president of The Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, Khitam Saafin!

Join on Monday, 16 November at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern, 6 pm British/Irish time, 7 pm central Europe, 8 pm Palestine!

Use this USPCN toolkit for your social media posts: bit.ly/FreeKhitamSaafin

And here are even more sample tweets for you to use: bit.ly/KhitamTweets

On Facebook: Tag @uspcn, @naarpr, @caarpr, @samidounprisonersolidarity, and @nlgnational in your posts on Facebook! Use the hashtag #FreeKhitamSaafin.

On Twitter: Tag @USPCN, @NAARPR, @SamidounPP, @CAARPRNow & @NLGnews. Use the hashtag #FreeKhitamSaafin

On Instagram: Tag @uspcn @samidounnetwork @nationallawyersguild @caarprnow in your posts
Use hashtag #FreeKhitamSaafin

*Delegation in Brazil to demand Khitam’s freedom, 9 November*

On 9 November in Brazil, Workers Party President Glesi Hoffmann, along with militants from the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST), the World March of Women (MMM), the Movement of Peasant Women (MMC), the Levante da Juventude, the CUT and the Teachers Union, representing more than 50 Brazilian organizations that are part of the International Peoples Assembly and La Via Campesina Brazil, visited the embassy of Israel in Brasilia to file a document demanding the freedom of the Palestinian Militant Khitam Saafin.According to the document delivered to the Israeli embassy in Brasilia, Khitam’s prison is part of a criminal policy by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people and their national leaders, especially women, which aims to prevent these leaders from fulfilling their roles in the fight against the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Alkarama Palestinian Women’s Mobilization called for the release of Saafin, noting that “Saafin’s arrest occurs in the context of the ongoing imprisonment of Palestinian activists by the Israeli occupation authorities. This can be seen in the growing number of Palestinian Legislative Council members, human rights activists and civil society leaders arrested by Israeli occupation forces in recent years.”
A group of left and progressive women’s organizations in the Arab region, including the Women’s Sector of the Democratic Way in Morocco, Palestinian Working Women Committees Union, Jin Women Association of Lebanon, the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees and the World March of Women – MENA region, also urged her immediate release in a statement “Demanding the human rights and women’s organizations in the region to crystallize a regional and international solidarity campaign to demand the release of the comrade Khitam and the rest of the Palestinian prisoners and calls for serious and real support to the Palestinian captive movement.”
Member of European Parliament Manu Pineda, chair of the parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Palestine, issued a statement to the European External Action Service, calling on the EEAS and the EU to “mobilize its diplomatic resources to obtain the prompt release of Ms. Saafin and all other Palestinian citizens detained without formal charges.”
ELAFF, a French association of Green, anarchist and antifascist feminists, issued a statement of solidarity, demanding the release of Khitam Saafin and other feminist political prisoners around the world.
Jewish Voice for Peace, Germany, joined the call for freedom for Khitam Saafin, Khalida Jarrar, imprisoned Palestinian women’s leaders.
Radical Women chapters in the United States and Australia join Palestinian feminists and leftists in strongly condemning Israel’s recent arrest and abduction of women’s movement and student leaders, former prisoners, and leftist organizers throughout the occupied West Bank of Palestine. As the statement noted: “Israel attacks feminists for their leadership and resilience in challenging the Zionist state. Women are hit especially hard by the occupation. They hold the family together, and feed and care for children and elderly relatives. Their homes are destroyed, They witness people killed in their beds and dying when ambulances aren’t allowed through checkpoints.”

Take Action

1. Post pictures and graphics on your social media accounts urging the release of Khitam Saafin and all Palestinian prisoners. Send your photos to us at Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network on Facebook, @SamidounPP on Twitter, and at [email protected].

2. Issue a statement from your group, association, women’s organization or union demanding freedom for Khitam Saafin. In 2017, dozens of organizations around the world joined in the call for her release, making her detention – and that of Khalida Jarrar – an international issue. Send your statements to us at [email protected]

3. Organize protests, demonstrations creative actions. Ad hacks, postering and other outdoor actions – especially near an Israeli embassy or consulate – can draw a significant amount of attention to Khitam Saafin and the Palestinian cause at this critical time.

4. Build the boycott of Israel! Join the movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. 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.
Please share your actions and posts with us at Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network on Facebook, @SamidounPP on Twitter, and at [email protected].