Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network welcomes and rejoices at the release of Juani Rishmawi in the face of the unfounded and pernicious judicial persecution imposed by the apartheid regime and Israeli occupation.
Juani, a Spanish aid worker naturalized as a Palestinian, contributes to the Palestinian cause from the humanitarian perspective and through political activism in the Health Work Committees, and therefore has faced the fabricated charge that the Zionist regime applies when it wants to impose collective punishment and reprisals against all Palestinians and against international solidarity that works for the improvement of the conditions of the Palestinian people — specifically, “financing of illegal organizations.”
As usual, the Israeli military court did not see proof of anything, and her detention resulted in a sentence of 13 months, 3 months of which will be spent under house arrest. There is nothing new here: 99% of Palestinians who pass through Zionist military courts are convicted. Nevertheless, on 7 February 2022, Juani was released from Zionist prisons and able to return home to her family.
On behalf of Samidoun, we congratulate Juani for her victory and release and the Support Group for the Liberation of Juani for their intense commitment and organizing from outside, taking Juani’s struggle to the streets and various institutions, especially in Spain.
However, the struggle continues until all Palestinian prisoners are released from Zionist prisons, especially the 4,500 who remain behind bars, including 180 child prisoners and 500 held in administrative detention without charge or trial and who are currently boycotting the military courts.
