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International action in Brussels and Murcia demand freedom for Khitam Saafin, Palestinian prisoners

On Sunday, 28 February, activists in Brussels, Belgium, protested the renewal of the arbitrary Israeli administrative detention order – for imprisonment without charge or trial — against Palestinian feminist and president of the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees Khitam Saafin.

They displayed a banner in front of the Israeli embassy and the soldiers stationed outside, while the stone wall surrounding the building was tagged with “BDS” slogans promoting the boycott of Israel and divestment and sanctions against it, in support of freedom, justice and equality for Palestinians.

On 25 February, an Israeli military court extended Saafin’s administrative detention for an additional four months; she has already been jailed without charge or trial since 2 November 2020. This is not the first time she has been detained by the Israeli occupation; in 2017, she was jailed for three months without charge or trial under an administrative detention order.

Administrative detention was first introduced to Palestine by the British colonial mandate and then adopted by the Zionist state. Palestinians may be jailed without charge or trial under administrative detention orders of up to six months, which are then indefinitely renewable. Palestinians have spent years at a time jailed without charge or trial under administrative detention.

Saafin is among approximately 40 imprisoned Palestinian women — out of nearly 5,000 total Palestinian political prisoners — including several fellow administrative detainees, imprisoned Palestinian student activists like Shatha Tawil, Layan Kayed, Elia Abu Hijleh and Ruba Assi, and political leaders, including feminist and leftist parliamentarian Khalida Jarrar.

In a statement, the activists in Brussels affirmed: “All of this is made possible by the complicit silence of the international community. We demand the immediate release of Khitam Saafin and all other Palestinian prisoners, the end of the occupation, the application of the right of return for Palestinian refugees and the dismantling of the wall.

Stop colonization in Palestine and everywhere;
Stop imprisonment;
Stop patriarchy;
Palestine will live!”

Read the full report in French on Brussels Indymedia.

In addition, Samidoun in Murcia, Spain — part of Samidoun España — created posters as part of a call to raise the demand for the liberation of Palestinian women prisoners as part of 8 March in Murcia:

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network condemns the unjust, unlawful extension of Khitam Saafin’s administrative detention by the Israeli occupation and urges people of conscience around the world to join in the call for her freedom and the liberation of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

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

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

We urge women’s organizations, student organizations and people of conscience everywhere to raise their voices and act in solidarity with Khitam Saafin and her fellow Palestinian prisoners targeted by the Israeli occupation – including by building the movement for the boycott of Israel, its institutions and complicit corporations like HP, Puma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and G4S. The Israeli occupation wants to continue its colonization of Palestine unchecked by isolating and detaining the leaders of the Palestinian people’s movement. Join us to act and urge their immediate release and the liberation of all Palestinian prisoners, and of Palestine, from the river to the sea!

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 samidoun@samidoun.net.

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 samidoun@samidoun.net

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.

Σαμιντούν: Δεν θα μας φιμώσει ο χαρακτηρισμός μας από το Ισραήλ ως «τρομοκράτες»

Απαντώντας στον Ισραηλινό υπουργό Άμυνας – εγκληματία πολέμου, τον Μπένυ Γκάντς, τον χαρακτηρισμό του “Σαμίδουν” ως «τρομοκρατική οργάνωση», το Δίκτυο Αλληλεγγύης Παλαιστινίων Κρατουμένων “Σαμιδούν”επιβεβαιώνει ότι θα συνεχίσουμε να οργανώνουμε και να κινητοποιούμε διεθνώς για την υπεράσπιση των δικαιωμάτων και της απελευθέρωσης των Παλαιστινίων.  Αυτή είναι η τελευταία εκδήλωση μιας εκστρατείας επιχρίσματος που αποσκοπεί στη σιωπή της διεθνούς υποστήριξης για τον παλαιστινιακό λαό και ιδιαίτερα των σχεδόν 5.000 Παλαιστινίων που φυλακίστηκαν από την ισραηλινή κατοχή.  Πρόκειται για επίθεση στο κίνημα των Παλαιστινίων κρατουμένων καθώς και στο δικαίωμα των Παλαιστινίων στην εξορία και στη διασπορά να οργανώνονται.  Επιβεβαιώνουμε ότι δεν θα σιωπήσουμε ούτε θα αποθαρρυνθούμε από τις εκστρατείες του Ισραήλ.

Οι Ισραηλινοί ισχυρισμοί είναι γεμάτοι με ψευδείς, παραπλανητικούς και απρόσεκτους ισχυρισμούς, ξεκινώντας από την απαρίθμηση μιας λανθασμένης ημερομηνίας για την ίδρυση του Samidoun (σηματοδοτούμε την 10ετή επέτειο μας φέτος, το 2021, όπως μαθαίνεται εύκολα από τον ιστότοπό μας)  Ο Παλαιστίνιος συγγραφέας Khaled Barakat έχει εκφράσει την υποστήριξή του στο έργο του “Σαμιδούν” σε πολλές περιπτώσεις και είμαστε περήφανοι που μοιραζόμαστε τις σκέψεις του.  Ωστόσο, η πλήρης αδιαφορία του Ισραήλ για γεγονότα μπαίνει για άλλη μια φορά εδώ: Ο Khaled Barakat δεν είναι τώρα, ούτε υπήρξε ποτέ, σκηνοθέτης ή «επικεφαλής συντονιστής» του Σαμιδούν .

Είμαστε ένας λαϊκός οργανισμός χωρίς αμειβόμενο προσωπικό πλήρους απασχόλησης και δεν συγκεντρώνει χρήματα για κανέναν οργανισμό εκτός από τη διατήρηση των εκστρατειών υποστήριξής μας.  Έχουμε κεφάλαια στις ΗΠΑ, τον Καναδά, τη Γερμανία, τις Κάτω Χώρες, την Ισπανία, τη Σουηδία, τη Βραζιλία, την Ελλάδα και την κατεχόμενη Παλαιστίνη, καθώς και ένα δίκτυο οργανώσεων μελών, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του Collectif Palestine Vaincra στη Γαλλία.  Αυτή είναι μια κατάφωρη προσπάθεια να διαταράξει και να υπονομεύσει αυτήν την αυξανόμενη κινητοποίηση υποστήριξης προς την Παλαιστίνη σε όλο τον κόσμο.

Διεξάγουμε τη δουλειά μας ανοιχτά, ορατά και δημόσια, όπως είναι ορατό στον ιστότοπό μας, samidoun.net, και είμαστε υπερήφανοι που ζητούμε την ελευθερία των Παλαιστινίων πολιτικών κρατουμένων όπως ο Ahmad Sa’adat, η Khalida Jarrar και χιλιάδες Παλαιστίνιοι διαφορετικών πολιτικών  υπόβαθρα.  Ολόκληρη η ισραηλινή εκστρατεία βασίζεται σε πλήρη παραβίαση των γεγονότων και της πραγματικότητας.

Στην πραγματικότητα, τα περισσότερα από τα αναφερόμενα σημεία φαίνεται να προέρχονται απευθείας από τη δεξιά οργάνωση προπαγάνδας ΜΚΟ Monitor, η οποία στοχεύει να προστατεύσει το Ισραήλ από τη διεθνή υπευθυνότητα για εγκλήματα πολέμου, λεηλατώντας υπερασπιστές των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων στην Παλαιστίνη και σε όλο τον κόσμο.  Και οι πραγματικές ανακρίβειες »είναι ένα μακροχρόνιο χαρακτηριστικό της υπεράσπισης του ισραηλινού απαρτχάιντ, εξωδικαστικών δολοφονιών, δήμευσης γης, αυθαίρετης κράτησης, στρατιωτικής κατοχής, πολιορκίας και αποικιοκρατίας.

Το Samidoun είναι ένας ανεξάρτητος διεθνής, αραβικός και παλαιστινιακός οργανισμός που κινητοποιείται για την απελευθέρωση σχεδόν 5.000 παλαιστινίων πολιτικών κρατουμένων στις ισραηλινές φυλακές.  Υποστηρίζουμε το μποϊκοτάζ του Ισραήλ και υποστηρίζουμε το δικαίωμα των Παλαιστινίων να αντιστέκονται στην κατοχή, το απαρτχάιντ και την καταπίεση, καθώς και το δικαίωμα όλων των Παλαιστινίων προσφύγων να επιστρέψουν στα σπίτια και τα εδάφη τους.  Υποστηρίζουμε μια ελεύθερη Παλαιστίνη, από τον ποταμό μέχρι τη θάλασσα.

Για αυτούς τους λόγους, το Υπουργείο Άμυνας του Ισραήλ, που ασχολείται καθημερινά με εγκλήματα πολέμου και εγκλήματα κατά της ανθρωπότητας εναντίον του Παλαιστινιακού λαού που βρίσκεται υπό κατοχή, επιτίθεται στο έργο του Σαμίδουν.  Πρόκειται για μια περαιτέρω προσπάθεια να χρησιμοποιηθεί η καταστολή και οι απειλές εναντίον του παλαιστινιακού λαού και των διεθνών συμμάχων τους ως δραστηριότητα εκστρατείας για το κόμμα του Benny Gantz στις ισραηλινές εκλογές.  Πρόκειται επίσης για μια προσπάθεια να αποσπάσει την προσοχή από το σοβαρό πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίζουν εκατοντάδες Σιωνιστές αξιωματούχοι – συμπεριλαμβανομένου του ίδιου του Γκάντς – που φοβούνται τα επόμενα βήματα των ερευνών του Διεθνούς Ποινικού Δικαστηρίου (ΔΠΔ) μετά την τελευταία ανακοίνωσή του στις 5 Φεβρουαρίου 2021 που επιβεβαιώνει ότι  έχει την εξουσία να ερευνά εγκλήματα πολέμου στα κατεχόμενα παλαιστινιακά εδάφη.

Αυτό δεν πρέπει να εκληφθεί ως επίθεση εναντίον του Samidoun μόνο: αντίθετα, έρχεται σε συνδυασμό με μια σειρά εκστρατειών επιχρίσματος που απευθύνονται σε Παλαιστίνιους υπερασπιστές των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και σε εκείνους που υπερασπίζονται τα Παλαιστινιακά δικαιώματα σε όλο τον κόσμο – και τους Παλαιστίνιους κρατουμένους και  τον ίδιο τον παλαιστινιακό λαό.  Η ίδια ονομασία έχει επιβληθεί σε διάφορους διεθνείς οργανισμούς που ασχολούνται με τη δημόσια υπεράσπιση των παλαιστινιακών δικαιωμάτων και ελευθερίας.  Αυτή η επίθεση είναι μια προσπάθεια απομόνωσης των Παλαιστινίων κρατουμένων, όχι μόνο πίσω από τα κάγκελα, αλλά και από τη διεθνή βάση υποστήριξης και αλληλεγγύης.  Πρόκειται περαιτέρω για μια απόπειρα σιωπής της υποστήριξης για τη νόμιμη αντίσταση του παλαιστινιακού λαού, με στόχο την αντίθεση στους ιμπεριαλιστικούς πολέμους, τη διαδικασία του Όσλο και τον συνεχιζόμενο αποικισμό της Παλαιστίνης.

Είμαστε μεταξύ πολλών ακτιβιστών και οργανώσεων που δέχτηκαν επίθεση από το Ισραήλ – πολλοί από τους οποίους έχουν πληρώσει πολύ υψηλότερο τίμημα, συμπεριλαμβανομένων εκείνων των Παλαιστινίων, των Αράβων και των διεθνιστών που έχουν φυλακιστεί, βασανιστεί και δολοφονηθεί από το Ισραήλ.  Πάντα, ο στόχος είναι ο ίδιος: μια προσπάθεια υπονόμευσης της αυξανόμενης διεθνούς υποστήριξης για τον παλαιστινιακό λαό και τη δίκαιη αιτία τους.

Σχεδόν κάθε οργάνωση, κίνημα, ακόμη και μεμονωμένος ακτιβιστής που υπερασπίζεται την παλαιστινιακή ελευθερία στοχεύεται από την ισραηλινή κατοχή και τους κορυφαίους εγκληματίες πολέμου για παρενόχληση, απειλές και προσπάθειες κινητοποίησης της κρατικής εξουσίας για την καταστολή ενός αντι-αποικιακού, αντιρατσιστικού κινήματος για δικαιοσύνη και απελευθέρωση  .  Είμαστε περήφανοι που στέκουμε με όλους εκείνους που αντιμετωπίζουν τέτοιες εκστρατείες επιχρίσματος και καταπιεστικές επιθέσεις – εντείνοντας το έργο μας και ενώνοντας μαζί για να αντιμετωπίσουμε το ισραηλινό απαρτχάιντ, την κατοχή, τα εγκλήματα πολέμου και τον αποικισμό και οργανώνοντας για την απελευθέρωση της Παλαιστίνης.

Palestinian feminist Khalida Jarrar sentenced to 2 years in prison by illegitimate Israeli military court

In the latest injustice perpetrated in the illegitimate Israeli military courts, Palestinian feminist, leftist, parliamentarian and defender of prisoners’ rights, Khalida Jarrar, was sentenced to two years in Israeli prison on Monday, 1 March 2021. This means she will be released at the end of October 2021, two years after her most recent arrest by over 70 armed Israeli occupation soldiers, who invaded her home on 31 October 2019. This comes only days after Palestinian feminist Khitam Saafin was ordered to four more months in Israeli administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network denounces the unjust sentence imposed upon Khalida Jarrar and calls for her immediate release and that of her fellow Palestinian women behind bars.

The internationally known political leader had been charged with “holding a position in a prohibited organization,” the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, before an Israeli military court. Like all major Palestinian political parties, the leftist PFLP is labeled a “prohibited organization” by the Israeli occupation. These charges came after earlier sensationalist, anti-Palestinian media attacks on Jarrar and her comrades.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges women’s organizations, social movements and all people of conscience to highlight the struggles, experiences and resistance of Khalida Jarrar, Khitam Saafin and all Palestinian women – including those held in Israeli prisons – as part of International Working Women’s Day activities on 8 March 2021. This includes working — on International Women’s Day and beyond — to build the boycott of Israel, its academic and cultural institutions and complicit corporations like HP, Puma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and G4S.

The Israeli occupation seeks to expand and consolidate its colonization of Palestine by imprisoning Palestinian people’s leaders like Khalida Jarrar and by its attacks on organizations that defend the Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Jarrar was arrested only eight months after her release from 20 months in Israeli administrative detention – imprisonment without charge or trial – after her last arrest by occupation forces in 2017. During her detention from 2017 to 2019, over 275 organizations signed onto an international call for her release. The 2019 attack by Israeli occupation forces also came as she prepared to teach at Bir Zeit University on international law and the Palestinian movement, the forced cancellation of her class accompanying the targeting of students for their own political and student activity on campus.

Jarrar is a longtime advocate for the freedom of Palestinian prisoners and has served as the former Vice-Chair and Executive Director of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. She is also a member of the Palestinian committee that acceded to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and presented evidence to the international body about ongoing Israeli crimes.

Her arrest – and a slew of Israeli media propaganda targeting her – escalated just as the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, announced that she recommended the ICC launch a formal investigation of Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine. Today, her sentence comes only weeks after the ICC affirmed its jurisdiction over occupied Palestine over the objections of the Israeli occupation and its global imperialist backers.

Since her most recent detention in 2019, Khalida Jarrar has continued to resist and to speak, breaking the isolation that the Israeli regime attempted to impose upon her. She wrote the Foreword to Ramzy Baroud’s book, “These Chains Will Be Broken,” which tells the stories of Palestinian political prisoners and detainees:

“In actuality, these are not just prison stories. For Palestinians, the prison is a microcosm of the much larger struggle of a people who refuse to be enslaved on their own land, and who are determined to regain their freedom, with the same will and vigor carried by all triumphant, once-colonized nation.”

Jarrar’s daughters, Suha and Yafa, delivered a special message from Jarrar to the Palestine Writes Literature Festival, held in December 2020. Her letter discusses the surveillance regime and denial of access to literature and cultural works perpetrated against Palestinian prisoners as well as their self-organized educational work, creativity and ongoing resistance. She writes:

“From the Israeli Damon prison located at the top of Mount Carmel in Haifa, I extend my greetings to you on behalf of myself and my 40 fellow women Palestinian freedom fighters in Israeli prisons. We extend our salute and due respect is to all writers, scholars, intellectuals and artists who speak the truth and call for the freedom and justice of all people and who defend people’s right to self-determination and oppose the colonial racist domination.

On this occasion, please allow me to also send our greetings and support to all Arab writers, scholars, intellectuals and artists who reject normalization with Israel’s settler colonial system and who have refused to accept the Emirati, Bahraini and Sudanese normalization agreements with the Zionist entity. It is stands such as these that represent the true ties between our people in the Arab world and empower us, prisoners, from within. Although physically we are held captive behind fences and bars, our souls remain free and are soaring in the skies of Palestine and the world. Regardless of the severity of the Israeli occupation’s practices and imposed punitive measures, our free voice will continue to speak out on behalf of our people who have suffered horrendous catastrophes, displacement, occupation and arrests. It will also continue to let the world know of the strong Palestinian Will that will relentlessly reject and challenge colonialism in all its forms. We work to establish and consolidate human values and strive to obtain social and economic liberation that bind the free people of the world together….”

In 2014, she resisted – and defeated – an Israeli attempt to forcibly displace her from her family home in el-Bireh to Jericho. Only nine months later, in April 2015, she was seized by Israeli occupation forces and ordered to administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. After a global outcry, she was brought before Israeli military courts and faced 12 charges based on her political activity, from giving speeches to attending events in support of Palestinian prisoners. She served 15 months in Israeli prison – and was then free for only 13 months before her 2017 arrest.

We demand the immediate release of Khalida Jarrar and pledge to organize for the liberation of all Palestinian prisoners, and of Palestine, from the river to the sea!

You can use the following flyers and social media images to join the campaign to free Khalida Jarrar and her fellow political prisoners. Download here and share widely!

Images:

Posters:

#Justice4ElHalabi Twitter Storm and Social Media Campaign – Join Us Now! Sunday, February 28

#Justice4ElHalabi Twitter Storm and Social Media Campaign
Sunday, February 28
10 am Pacific – 1 pm Eastern – 7 pm central Europe – 8 pm Palestine
Use the hashtag: #Justice4ElHalabi

Suggested Tweets and Images: https://bit.ly/justice4elhalabi

Mohammed El-Halabi is the former director of World Vision in Gaza. A Palestinian “humanitarian hero,” Mohammed El-Halabi, 42, was detained by Israel in 2016. In a widely promoted press campaign, El-Halabi was accused by Israeli officials of financing Hamas using funds from the charity. However, audits by World Vision and the Australian government found not only that there was no misuse of funds but that, further, the Israeli charges were fundamentally impossible — World Vision’s budget over multiple years never reached the sums of money cited by Israeli officials.

Join Just Peace Advocates, Canada Palestine Association, Palestine House and Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network in a social media storm on Sunday, February 28.

On March 3, 2021, Mohammed El-Halabi will face his 156th court hearing. All of his hearings have taken place behind closed doors, and UN experts noted that el-Halabi’s “arrest, interrogation and trial is not worthy of a democratic state.” He refused a plea bargain after being warned by the judge in his case that he will likely be convicted and that, “You’ve read the numbers and the statistics,” the judge told el-Halabi, according to ABC. “You know how these issues are handled.” The plea bargain offer would have seen him imprisoned for three years. He has now been imprisoned without conviction for four and one-half years.

Mohammed El-Halabi is a protected person under international humanitarian law, yet he has been subjected to gross violations of his fundamental rights. Mohammed El-Halabi’s case has been used to intimidate international NGOs away from working in Gaza, further tightening the siege on over 2 million people living under daily Israeli siege, occupation and ongoing bombing raids — most of them refugees denied their right to return to their original homes and lands in Palestine. On February 28, join us to demand #Justice4ElHalabi.

Suggested Tweets and Images: https://bit.ly/justice4elhalabi

SAMPLE TWEETS

Samidoun: We will not be silenced by Israel’s “terrorist” designation

In response to Israeli Defense Minister and war criminal Benny Gantz’s designation of Samidoun as a “terrorist organization”, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network affirms that we will continue to organize and mobilize internationally in defense of Palestinian rights and liberation. This is the latest manifestation of a smear campaign that is intended to silence international support for the Palestinian people and especially the nearly 5,000 Palestinians jailed by the Israeli occupation. This is an attack on the Palestinian prisoners’ movement as well as the right of Palestinians in exile and diaspora to organize. We affirm that we will not be silenced or deterred by Israel’s smear campaigns.

The Israeli allegations are replete with false, misleading and careless allegations, beginning with listing an incorrect date for the founding of Samidoun (we actually mark our 10-year anniversary this year, in 2021, as is easily learned from our website). Palestinian writer Khaled Barakat has expressed his support for Samidoun’s work on multiple occasions, and we are proud to share his writings and thoughts. However, Israel’s complete disregard for facts once again comes into play here: Khaled Barakat is not now, nor has he ever been, a director or “chief coordinator” of Samidoun. 

We are a grassroots organization with no paid full-time staff and that does not fundraise for any organization except for sustaining our advocacy campaigns. We have chapters in the US, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Brazil, Greece and occupied Palestine, and a network of member organizations including the Collectif Palestine Vaincra in France. This is a blatant attempt to disrupt and undermine this growing mobilization of support for Palestine around the world. 

We conduct our work openly, visibly and publicly, as is visible at our website, samidoun.net, and we are proud to call for the freedom of Palestinian political prisoners like Ahmad Sa’adat, Khalida Jarrar, and thousands of Palestinians of diverse political backgrounds. The entire Israeli campaign is based on a complete disregard for facts and reality. 

In fact, most of the listed points appear to come directly from right-wing propaganda organization NGO Monitor, which aims to shield Israel from international accountability for war crimes by smearing human rights defenders in Palestine and around the world./ NGO Monitor’s “baseless claims and factual inaccuracies” are a long-standing feature of their defense of Israeli apartheid, extrajudicial killings, land confiscation, arbitrary detention, military occupation, siege and colonialism. 

Samidoun is an independent international, Arab and Palestinian organization that mobilizes for the liberation of nearly 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. We advocate for the boycott of Israel, and we uphold the right of Palestinians to resist occupation, apartheid and oppression, and the right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and lands. We stand for a free Palestine, from the river to the sea. 

It is for these reasons and these reasons alone that Israel’s Defense Ministry, engaged in daily war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people under occupation, is attacking Samidoun’s work. This is a further attempt to use repression and threats against the Palestinian people and their international allies as a campaign activity for Benny Gantz’s party in the Israeli elections. This is also an attempt to divert attention from the serious problem facing hundreds of Zionist officials – including Gantz himself – who are afraid from the next steps of the investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) after its last announcement on 5 February 2021 affirming that it has the authority to investigate war crimes in the Palestinian occupied territories.

Further, it is no surprise that this public announcement comes only days after 300 international organizations have joined in a collective campaign to free Palestinian student prisoners

In fact, this should not be conceived of as an attack on Samidoun alone: instead, it comes hand in hand with a series of smear campaigns directed at Palestinian human rights defenders and those who uphold Palestinian rights around the world — and the Palestinian prisoners and the Palestinian people themselves. The same designation has been levied against a number of international organizations engaged in public advocacy for Palestinian rights and freedom. This attack is an attempt to isolate the Palestinian prisoners, not only behind bars, but from their international base of support and solidarity. It is further an attempt to silence support for the legitimate resistance of the Palestinian people, targeting opposition to imperialist wars, the Oslo process and the ongoing colonization of Palestine.

We are among many activists and organizations who have been attacked by Israel — many of whom have paid a much higher price, including those Palestinians, Arabs and internationalists who have been jailed, tortured and assassinated by Israel. Always, the goal is the same: an attempt to undermine the growing international support for the Palestinian people and their just cause. 

Almost every organization, movement and even individual activist that stands for Palestinian freedom is targeted by the Israeli occupation and its leading war criminals for harassment, threats and attempts to mobilize state power to suppress an anti-colonial, anti-racist movement for justice and liberation. We are proud to stand with all of those who face such smear campaigns and repressive attacks — by intensifying our work and coming together to confront Israeli apartheid, occupation, war crimes and colonization, and organizing for the liberation of Palestine. 

We invite activists and organizations to join the Samidoun Network and build together with us. Contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net

Outrage: Palestinian feminist Khitam Saafin’s detention extended for four more months

On Thursday, 25 February, Israeli occupation authorities ordered Khitam Saafin, the President of the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, detained without charge or trial for four additional months under administrative detention. The UPWC denounced the extension of her arbitrary imprisonment in a statement posted on Facebook. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network condemns the unjust, unlawful extension of Khitam Saafin’s administrative detention by the Israeli occupation and urges people of conscience around the world to join in the call for her freedom and the liberation of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

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

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

Khitam Saafin is a leading Palestinian feminist and women’s organizer and 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.

Saafin was seized by Israeli occupation forces from her home in occupied Beitunia on 2 November 2020; she was originally ordered to six months in administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial, which was then reduced to four months after a legal battle.

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 450 Palestinian prisoners held under administrative detention orders, among approximately 4500 Palestinian political prisoners in total.

People around the world have already joined in the global outcry to demand Saafin’s freedom. In addition to the demonstrations, social media storms and statements of condemnation that have come from global feminist, human rights and international solidarity organizations, famed musician Roger Waters showed his support for Khitam Saafin:

Saafin is among approximately 40 imprisoned Palestinian women, including several fellow administrative detainees, imprisoned Palestinian student activists like Shatha Tawil, Layan Kayed, Elia Abu Hijleh and Ruba Assi, and political leaders, including feminist and leftist parliamentarian Khalida Jarrar.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network denounces the extension of Khitam Saafin’s administrative detention without charge or trial, only the latest Israeli occupation attack on the Palestinian women’s movement.

We urge women’s organizations, student organizations and people of conscience everywhere to raise their voices and act in solidarity with Khitam Saafin and her fellow Palestinian prisoners targeted by the Israeli occupation – including by building the movement for the boycott of Israel, its institutions and complicit corporations like HP, Puma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and G4S. The Israeli occupation wants to continue its colonization of Palestine unchecked by isolating and detaining the leaders of the Palestinian people’s movement. Join us to act and urge their immediate release and the liberation of all Palestinian prisoners, and of Palestine, from the river to the sea!

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 samidoun@samidoun.net.

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 samidoun@samidoun.net

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.

#FreeAtaKhattab Social Media Storm Thursday, Feb. 25

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is one of many organizations joining with the US Palestinian Community Network for a social media storm to free imprisoned Palestinian cultural worker Ata Khattab! Visit bit.ly/AtaStorm for sample content to join the social media storm. 
USPCN’s call to action is below:
Join USPCN this Thursday, February 25th, at 1 PM Eastern Time (8 PM in Palestine) for a two hour social media storm to demand that Israel release Palestinian cultural worker Ata Khattab from political imprisonment!

Ata is a good friend of USPCN, a leading cultural worker in Palestine, and Head Dabke Choreographer & Trainer with El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe in El-Bireh, Occupied West Bank, Palestine.

He was abducted from his family home at 4 AM on February 2nd, and has been in Israel’s notorious Al-Moscobiyeh interrogation center ever since. Just this morning, the Israeli military court extended Ata’s interrogation by nine additional days. Israeli “law” states that he can be held with no charges for up to 78 days.

USPCN condemns the abduction and arrest of Ata and leads the call to #FreeAtaKhattab and ALL Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian Authority jails!

Israel’s occupation authority, with its daily human rights violations, land theft, and ethnic cleansing, has a history of targeting Palestinian cultural workers for arrest, including Ata’s sister, many of his colleagues, and just recently, two dabke performers with Wishah Popular Dance Troupe, also in El-Bireh.

Ata and his siblings have worked for many years with El-Funoun, a volunteer-based organization of over 220 members dedicated to the preservation of authentic Palestinian folklore song, dance, and theater. Its work centers on the unbreakable resolve of Palestinian resistance and joy in the face of constant adversity, empowering artists across generations as they produce awe-inspiring pieces for the community.

It is possible that Israel will force Ata into administrative detention, which, according to Addameer, the main political prisoners’ advocacy organization in Palestine, is a political imprisonment order issued without trial or charge for up to three months at a time, and one that can be indefinitely renewed. Palestinians routinely spend years at a time jailed under administrative detention.

Join our social media storm on Thursday, February 25th, at 10 AM Pacific, 12 PM Central, 1 PM Eastern, and 8 PM in Palestine!

Follow us on social media (FacebookInstagramTwitter) to share our posts during the storm, and visit bit.ly/AtaStorm for sample content to post yourself. On Twitter and Instragram, tag @uspcn.

And use these hashtags:
#FreeAtaKhattab
#FreeAllPalestinianPoliticalPrisoners

الحرية_لعطا_خطاب#

Participating endorsers (list in formation): Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al-Awda NY, American Friends Service Committee, American Muslims for Palestine-NJ, Arab Resource and Organizing Center, Break the Silence Mural Project, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe, Existence Is Resistance, Fredwreck (prominent hip hop producer), Freedom Road Socialist Organization, GoodKids MadCity, Janna Jihad (youngest Palestinian journalist in the world), Jewish Voice for Peace, Mamas Activating Movements for Abolition & Solidarity (MAMAS), National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, NY4Palestine, Samidoun – Palestinian Political Prisoners Solidarity Network, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Wishah Popular Dance Troupe, Yalla Indivisible

Palestinian Students Solidarity Campaign #FreePalestinianStudents

Free Palestinian Students: Call to Action

We, the undersigned organizations, join our voices together in a global call to urge the immediate freedom of imprisoned Palestinian students and the protection of Palestinian students’ right to education, right to political expression and involvement and right to determine their own futures. The Israeli occupation has targeted Palestinian students and, specifically, the Palestinian student movement and Palestinian student organizations for harsh repression and political detention and imprisonment. 

We join together to call for action and support for Palestinian students behind bars, including: 

  • Boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, including Israeli academic institutions, which are fully complicit in the systematic deprivation of Palestinian rights. 
  • Ending all military and economic aid, military transactions, joint projects and direct funding to the Israeli occupation regime by governments around the world. 
  • Challenging “normalization” programs that aim to legitimize Israeli occupation — this is an attempt to legitimize the criminalization and targeting of Palestinian students.
  • Organizing to build direct links of solidarity with Palestinian students and the Palestinian student movement, to ensure that they will not be isolated from their global community of support despite all attempts by the Israeli occupation. 

**

Hundreds of Palestinian students are routinely detained by the Israeli occupation, especially those who are part of student organizations involved with campus political life. At Bir Zeit University alone, approximately 74 students were detained by occupation soldiers during the 2019-2020 academic year. They are among nearly 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners jailed by Israel. The work of student organizing, from holding book fairs to organizing events and participating in student elections, is criminalized by the Israeli occupation. Still more students are detained for joining demonstrations or posting on their social media profiles. 

Palestinian students have been seized by Israeli occupation forces and abducted for their participation in the student movement in their homes, at their workplaces and on their campuses. 

Once arrested, Palestinian students are routinely subjected to torture under interrogation — subjected to stress positions and stretched out over chairs, suspended from walls and forced to stand on tiptoe, deprived of sleep, cuffed and pressured on injured limbs, and beaten.

Palestinian students may be sent to administrative detention — imprisonment without charge or trial, indefinitely renewable in six-month periods. Palestinians routinely spend years jailed with no charges, no trial and no real challenge to the deprivation of their rights. They may be brought before Israeli military courts, which convict over 99% of the Palestinians charged there. 

One of the most common charges is “membership in a prohibited organization,” typically referring to the student blocs. These represent the full spectrum of Palestinian politics. They organize lectures, book fairs, rallies and other campus events and participate in student elections. The charge sheets often refer to these standard activities of campus life, which are widely interpreted as a barometer for broader Palestinian political opinion

The targeting Palestinian students is an attack on Palestinian futures. It is a systematic attempt to undermine the capacity of young Palestinians to organize with one another for a liberated future for their people: One free of colonization, apartheid and occupation. 

These are not isolated cases, but a direct and collective violation of Palestinian students’ right to education, as affirmed in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.  The targeted repression of students is just one facet of Israel’s crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people.  

We condemn the complicity of the Palestinian Authority, which has not only failed to defend Palestinian students but has also engaged in political detention and harassment of student movements as part of its “security coordination” with Israel. 

Palestinian students in occupied Palestine ‘48 — Palestinian students in Israel — are subjected to ongoing, systematic harassment and discrimination, including bans on student groups and prohibitions on demonstrations and protests. 

Further, Palestinian and Palestine solidarity student groups internationally are targeted for campaigns of defamation, organization bans and administrative repression, with these efforts officially and unofficially supported by the Israeli government and pro-apartheid lobby organizations around the world. All the while, Palestinian refugee students are denied their right to return to occupied Palestine.

This persecution is supported by the billions of dollars in aid, military transactions and unlimited political support given to Israel by major imperialist powers like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union states and Australia. This coincides with the militarization of police in imperialist countries and their global use of military and economic domination against the peoples of the world. Israeli persecution of Palestinians mirrors the state repression of popular movements and marginalized peoples in these countries, especially indigenous and Black liberation movements. 

We cannot and must not remain silent about the persecution of the Palestinian student movement and of individual Palestinian students behind Israeli bars. We stand with Palestinian students! 

Add your organization’s name to this statement: http://bit.ly/palstudentsignon

Nous, organisations signataires, unissons nos voix au sein de cet appel mondial revendiquant la libération immédiate des étudiants palestiniens emprisonnés, la protection de leur droit à l’éducation, à l’expression et à l’engagement politiques ainsi que leur droit à déterminer leur propre avenir. L’occupation israélienne a pris pour cible les étudiants palestiniens, notamment le mouvement étudiant palestinien et les organisations étudiantes palestiniennes et ce par le biais d’une répression sévère en plus des détentions et emprisonnements politiques. 

Nous nous unissons pour appeler à l’action et au soutien de ces étudiants palestiniens derrière les barreaux et ce par :

Le boycott, le désinvestissement et les sanctions contre Israël, y compris les institutions universitaires israéliennes, qui sont pleinement complices de la privation systématique des Palestiniens de leurs droits.

L’arrêt de toute aide militaire et économique, des transactions militaires, des projets communs et financement direct du régime d’occupation israélien par les gouvernements du monde entier.

La remise en question des programmes de “normalisation” qui visent à légitimer l’occupation israélienne et qui incarnent une tentative de légitimation de la criminalisation et du ciblage des étudiants palestiniens.

S’organiser pour tisser des liens de solidarité directs avec les étudiants palestiniens et le mouvement étudiant palestinien, s’assurant de l’échec des tentatives qui visent à les isolés du soutien de la communauté internationale et ce malgré toutes les tentatives de l’occupation israélienne.

**

Des centaines d’étudiants palestiniens sont régulièrement détenus par l’occupation israélienne, en particulier ceux qui font partie d’organisations étudiantes impliquées dans la vie politique de leurs campus. Rien qu’à l’université de Bir Zeit, environ 74 étudiants furent détenus par les forces d’occupation au cours de l’année universitaire 2019-2020. Ils font partie des quelque 5 000 prisonniers politiques palestiniens détenus par Israël. Le travail d’organisation des étudiants, qui va de la simple tenue de salons du livre jusqu’à l’organisation d’événements et la participation aux élections étudiantes, est criminalisé par l’occupation israélienne. Ainsi, un nombre croissant d’étudiants se font arrêtés pour avoir participé à des manifestations ou pour avoir publié sur leurs profils personnels sur réseaux sociaux.

Des étudiants palestiniens se font arrêtés par les forces d’occupation israéliennes pour leur participation au mouvement étudiant en plus d’être enlevés à leur domicile, sur leur lieu de travail ou sur leur campus.

 

Une fois arrêtés, les étudiants palestiniens sont régulièrement soumis à la torture lors des interrogatoires : ils sont soumis à des positions de stress et étirés sur des chaises, suspendus aux murs et forcés à se tenir sur la pointe des pieds, privés de sommeil, menottés, soumis à des pressions physiques sur leur blessures et battus. 

Les étudiants palestiniens peuvent être envoyés en détention administrative : forme de détention sans accusation ni procès, indéfiniment renouvelable par périodes de six mois. Les Palestiniens passent couramment des années en prison sans inculpation, sans procès et sans véritable contestation de la privation de leurs droits. Ils peuvent être traduits devant les tribunaux militaires israéliens, qui condamnent plus de 99% des Palestiniens qui y sont jugés. 

L’une des accusations les plus courantes est celle d'”appartenance à une organisation interdite”, faisant généralement référence aux organisations étudiantes. Celles-ci sont représentatives de tout le spectre de la politique palestinienne. Elles organisent des conférences, des salons du livre, des rassemblements ainsi que d’autres événements sur les campus, en plus de participer aux élections étudiantes. Les fiches d’accusation font souvent référence à ces activités standards de la vie de campus, qui sont largement interprétées comme un baromètre de l’opinion politique palestinienne au sens large. 

Le fait de cibler les étudiants palestiniens est une attaque contre l’avenir même des Palestiniens. C’est une tentative systématique de saper la capacité des jeunes Palestiniens à s’organiser les uns avec les autres pour un avenir libéré pour leur peuple : un avenir libéré de la colonisation, de l’apartheid et de l’occupation. 

Il ne s’agit pas de cas isolés, mais d’une violation directe et collective du droit des étudiants palestiniens à l’éducation, comme l’affirment l’article 26 de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme et l’article 13 du Pacte international relatif aux droits économiques, sociaux et culturels.  La répression ciblée contre les étudiants n’est qu’une des facettes du régime d’apartheid criminel orchestré par Israël contre le peuple palestinien.  

Nous condamnons la complicité de l’Autorité Palestinienne, qui non seulement a échoué à défendre les étudiants palestiniens, mais s’est également engagée dans la détention politique et le harcèlement contre les mouvements étudiants dans le cadre de sa “coordination sécuritaire” avec Israël. 

Les étudiants palestiniens en Palestine occupée de 48 (les étudiants palestiniens en Israël) sont soumis à un harcèlement et une discrimination systématiques et permanents, y compris l’interdiction de groupes d’étudiants et l’interdiction de manifester et de protester. 

En outre, les groupes d’étudiants palestiniens et de solidarité internationale avec la Palestine sont la cible constante de campagnes diffamatoires, de dissolution et de répression administrative et ce avec le soutient tant officiel qu’officieux du gouvernement israélien et des organisations de lobbying pro-apartheid dans le monde entier. Pendant ce temps, les étudiants réfugiés palestiniens sont privés de leur droit de retour en Palestine occupée.

 

Cette persécution est soutenue par les milliards de dollars d’aide, de transactions militaires et de soutien politique inconditionnel accordés à Israël par les grandes puissances impérialistes comme les États-Unis, le Canada, le Royaume-Uni, les États membres de l’Union européenne et l’Australie. Cela coïncide avec la militarisation de la police dans les pays impérialistes et leur utilisation globale de la domination militaire et économique contre les peuples du monde. La persécution des Palestiniens par Israël reflète la répression étatique des mouvements populaires et des peuples marginalisés dans ces pays, en particulier les mouvements de libération des indigènes et des Noirs. 

Nous ne pouvons et ne devons pas rester silencieux face à la persécution du mouvement étudiant palestinien et des étudiants palestiniens derrière les barreaux israéliens. Nous nous tenons aux côtés des étudiants palestiniens ! 

Signataires : 

Ajoutez le nom de votre organisation à cette déclaration : http://bit.ly/palstudentsignon

نحن، المنظمات الموقعة أدناه، نضم أصواتنا معًا في دعوة عالمية للسعي إلى تحقيق الحرية الفورية للطلبة الفلسطينيين الأسرى في سجون العدو الصهيوني، وحماية حق الطلبة الفلسطينيين في التعليم، وحقهم في التعبير والمشاركة السياسية، والحق في تقرير مستقبلهم. حيث يستهدف العدو الصهيوني الطلبة الفلسطينيين وبالأخص المنخرطين الحركة الطلابية الفلسطينية والمنظمات الطلابية الفلسطينية بشتى وسائل القمع وحملات الاعتقال والعنف والترهيب.

 نتحد اليوم معاً وندعوكم إلى الانخراط في العمل في سبيل حرية الطلبة الفلسطينيين خلف القضبان، بما في ذلك:

  • المشاركة في مقاطعة الكيان الصهيوني بما في ذلك المؤسسات الأكاديمية الصهيونية، فهي متواطئة بشكل كامل في الاعتداء الممنهج على الفلسطينيين.
  • إنهاء جميع المساعدات العسكرية والاقتصادية، والعلاقات العسكرية والدبلوماسية والمشاريع المشتركة، والتمويل المباشر لمنظومة الاحتلال الصهيوني من قبل الحكومات المختلفة.
  • مواجهة ورفض برامج التطبيع الهادفة إلى شرعنة الاحتلال الصهيوني. فالتطبيع يضفي شرعيةً أيضاً تساهم بتجريم العمل الطلابي الفلسطيني.
  • التواصل والتضامن وبناء شبكات علاقات مع الحركة الطلابية الفلسطينية لإسنادها في نضالها

***

 تشن قوات العدو الصهيوني حملة منهجية تستهدف الحركة الطلابية الفلسطينية إذ تَعتقل مئات الطلبة الفلسطينيين بشكل مستمر وشبه يومي، ويتم استهداف كوادر القوى والكتل الطلابية المشاركة بفاعلية في الحياة السياسية والنقابية داخل الجامعة. ففي جامعة بيرزيت وحدها، اعتقل جنود الاحتلال ما يقارب 74 طالبًا وطالبة خلال العام الدراسي 2019/2020. هؤلاء الطلبة هم جزء مما يقارب الـ 5000 أسير فلسطيني يقبعون اليوم في سجون العدو الصهيوني. حيث يجرم العدو الصهيوني العمل الطلابي كتنظيم معارض للكتاب وتنظيم الفعاليات الثقافية والسياسية والمشاركة في الانتخابات الطلابية النقابية. فتختطف قوات الاحتلال الطلبة الفلسطينيين من منازلهم وسكناتهم الطلابية وأماكن عملهم ومن داخل الحرم الجامعي أيضاً.

يواجه الطلبة الفلسطينيون التعذيب بشكل منهجي في أقبية التحقيق والاستجواب، إذ يُجبِرُ الاحتلال الطلاب على الوقوف بوضعياتٍ مؤذية للجسد لفترات طويلة فيما يسمى عمليات “الشبح” على الكرسي وعلى الحائط، ويجبرهم أيضاً على الوقوف على أطرافهم، فضلاً عن تقييدهم المستمر وحرمانهم من النوم أثناء التحقيق.

يتعرض الطلبة الفلسطينيون أيضاً بشكل دائم إلى الاعتقال الإداري أي السجن دون تهمة أو محاكمة وهي عقوبة قابلة للتجديد كل ستة أشهر. فيقضي الفلسطينيون سنوات في السجن دون أي تهمة أو محاكمة حقيقية وبدون أي وسيلة تمكنهم من الاعتراض على هذه المنظومة الاحتلالية الإجرامية. حيث تقدم أجهزة الشاباك “ملف سري” أمام محاكم عسكرية صهيونية، وهي بدورها تدين أكثر من 99٪ من الفلسطينيين الذين يقعون في براثنها تحت بند الاعتقال الإداري.

واحدة من التهم الأكثر شيوعًا التي يواجهها الطلبة عند الأسر هي “العضوية في منظمة محظورة”، وهي تشير عادةً إلى الكتل الطلابية التي تمثل أذرع للأحزاب السياسة الفلسطينية في الجامعات. والتي يتمحور عملها بشكل أساسي على القضايا النقابية والسياسية من محاضرات ومعارض كتب واحتجاجات نقابية ووقفات وطنية في الحرم الجامعي ويشاركون في انتخابات المجالس الطلابية التي تُفسَّر على نطاق واسع على أنها مقياس للرأي السياسي الفلسطيني في الساحة الأوسع. غالبًا ما تشير لوائح الاتهام إلى هذه الأنشطة الطبيعية في الحياة الجامعية وفي الحرم الجامعي في أي مكان كان ولكنها في السياق الفلسطيني تشكل تهمة تعرض الطالب/ة للاعتقال.

إن استهداف الطلبة الفلسطينيين هو اعتداء على مستقبل الشعب الفلسطيني. فهي محاولة منهجية لتقويض قدرة الشباب الفلسطيني على التنظيم مع بعضهم البعض من أجل مستقبل حر لشعبهم: مستقبل خالٍ من الاستعمار والاحتلال.

الحالة الفلسطينية ليست حالة منعزلة، لكنها انتهاك مباشر وجماعي لحق الطلبة الفلسطينيين في التعليم، كما تم التأكيد عليه في المادة 26 من الإعلان العالمي لحقوق الإنسان والمادة 13 من العهد الدولي الخاص بالحقوق الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والثقافية. إن القمع الموجه ضد الطلبة ما هو إلا أحد جوانب الجريمة المستمرة والتطهير الذي يتعرض له الفلسطينيون.

إننا ندين تواطؤ السلطة الفلسطينية التي لم تفشل في الدفاع عن الطلبة الفلسطينيين فحسب، بل انخرطت أيضًا في عمليات الاعتقال السياسي ومضايقة الحركات الطلابية كجزء من “التنسيق الأمني” مع كيان الاحتلال وارتهاناً لسياسات الباب الدوار التي ينتهجونها.

 يتعرض الطلبة الفلسطينيون في الأراضي المحتلة عام 1948 لتضييقات وتمييز وضغط مستمر، بما في ذلك حظر المجموعات الطلابية وحظر المظاهرات والاحتجاجات. علاوة على ذلك، الاستهداف المستمر للمنظمات الطلابية المتضامنة مع الفلسطينيين وفلسطين دوليًا بحملات تشهير وحظر لهذه المنظمات وأساليب القمع الإداري ومنعها ممارسة أنشطتها وحرمانها ميزانياتها المقرة من المؤسسات التعليمية ويتم دعم هذه الجهود بشكل إما مباشر أو غير مباشر من قبل سلطات الاحتلال الصهيوني ومنظمات الضغط المؤيدة لسلطات الاحتلال في جميع أنحاء العالم. أما اللاجئون من الطلبة الفلسطينيين فهم محرومون من حقهم في العودة إلى فلسطين المحتلة، زيادة على ذلك الأوضاع الصعبة والحرمان من الفرص في مخيمات اللجوء.

هذه الجرائم مدعومة بمليارات الدولارات من المساعدات والعلاقات العسكرية والدعم السياسي غير المحدود المقدم للكيان الصهيوني من قبل القوى الإمبريالية الكبرى مثل الولايات المتحدة وكندا والمملكة المتحدة ودول الاتحاد الأوروبي وأستراليا. ويتزامن هذا مع عسكرة الشرطة في البلدان الإمبريالية واستخدامها العالمي للهيمنة العسكرية والاقتصادية ضد شعوب العالم. وتنعكس الاعتداءات الصهيونية على الفلسطينيين عند هذه الدول بقمعها للحركات الشعبية وشرائح المجتمع المهمشة في هذه البلدان، وخاصة حركات التحرر الأصلية وحراكات السود.

لن نبقى صامتين في ظل كافة الممارسات الصهيونية بحق طلبة فلسطين، ونقف خلفهم حتى الحرية وكسر القضبان.

لإضافة منظماتكم للبيان: http://bit.ly/palstudentsignon

Wir, die unten unterschreibenden Organisationen, erheben gemeinsam unsere Stimmen in einem globalen Aufruf, um die sofortige Freilassung der gefangenen Palästinensischen Studierenden zu verlangen, sowie um die Rechte der Palästinensischen Studierenden zu verteidigen, nämlich das Recht auf Bildung, das Recht auf politische Äußerung und politisches Engagement und das Recht darauf, die eigene Zukunft zu bestimmen. Die zionistische Besatzung hat die Palästinensischen Studierenden ständig angegriffen, insbesondere die Palästinensische Studentenbewegung und die Palästinensischen Studentenorganisationen mit gewalttätiger Repression und politischer Festnahme und Inhaftierung.

Wir rufen gemeinsam zur Aktion und Unterstützung der Palästinensischen Studierenden hinter Gittern auf, darunter :

  • Boykott, Desinvestitionen und Sanktionen gegen die zionistische Entität namens “Israel”, darunter die “israelischen” akademischen Institutionen, die bei den systematischen Angriffen gegen die Palästinensischen Rechte Komplizen sind.
  • Beendigung jeder militärischen und wirtschaftlichen Hilfe sowie aller militärischen Transaktionen, gemeinsamen Projekten und direkten Finanzierungen für das Regime der zionistischen Besatzung durch die Regierungen in der ganzen Welt.
  • Die Programme der “Normalisierung” herausfordern, die auf die Legitimierung der zionistischen Besatzung abzielen — dies ist ein Versuch, die Angriffe gegen die Palästinensischen Studierenden sowie ihre Kriminalisierung zu legitimisieren.
  • Sich organisieren, um direkte Beziehungen der Solidarität mit den Palästinensischen Studierenden und der Palästinensischen Studentenbewegung aufzubauen, um sicherzustellen, dass diese von ihrer globalen Unterstützungsgemeinschaft nicht isoliert werden, trotz der Versuche der zionistischen

**

Hunderte von Palästinensischen Studierenden sind routinemäßig verhaftet durch die zionistische Besatzung, insbesondere diejenigen, die Teile der Studentenorganisationen und somit im politischen Leben auf dem Campus involviert sind. Allein an der Birzeit Universität haben die Soldaten der zionistischen Besatzung circa 74 Studierenden während des akademischen Jahres 2019-2020 festgenommen. Sie gehören zu den circa 5000 Palästinensischen politischen Gefangenen, die sich in den zionistischen Gefängnissen befinden. Die Aktivitäten der Studentenorganisationen, von den Buchmessen bis zu den akademischen Veranstaltungen und studentischen Wahlen, werden von der zionistischen Besatzung kriminalisiert. Viele Studierenden wurden wegen der Teilnahme an Demonstrationen oder aufgrund von Social Media Inhalten inhaftiert.

Palästinensische Studierende wurden von der zionistischen Besatzung wegen ihrer Teilnahme an den Aktivitäten der Studentenbewegung entführt, als sie zuhause, am Arbeitsplatz oder auf dem Campus waren.

Einmal festgenommen, leiden die Palästinensischen Studierenden unter Folter während des Verhörs — die Foltermethoden beinhalten Schlafentzug, Stresspositionen, ausgestreckt auf Stühle und hängen an die Wand zu bleiben, auf die Zehenspitzen zu stehen etc. Die Studierenden werden gefesselt, geschlagen und ihre verletzten Glieder werden extra gedrückt, um mehr Schmerzen zu erzeugen.

Palästinensische Studierende leiden auch unter der sogenannten Administrativhaft — die Inhaftierung ohne Anklage noch Gerichtsverfahren, die in einem sechsmonatigen Rhythmus unendlich verlängert werden kann. Die Palästinenser verbringen routinemäßig viele Jahre im Gefängnis ohne Anklage, ohne Gerichtsverhandlung und ohne dass diese Angriffe gegen ihre Rechte herausgefordert werden. Sie können manchmal vor zionistischen Militärgerichte stehen, welche 99% der Palästinensischen Angeklagten verurteilen.

Eine der am meisten verbreiteten Anklagen lautet “Zugehörigkeit zu einer verbotenen Organisation”, was sich typischerweise auf die Studenten-Blöcke bezieht. Diese repräsentieren das vollständige Spektrum der Palästinensischen Politik. Sie organisieren Seminare, Buchmessen, Kundgebungen, Wahlen und andere Veranstaltungen auf dem Campus. Die Unterlagen der Anklagen beziehen sich oft auf diese Standard-Aktivitäten des studentischen Lebens, welche im Allgemeinen als Barometer der breiteren Palästinensischen politischen Meinung interpretiert werden.

Die Angriffe gegen die Palästinensischen Studierenden sind Angriffe gegen die Zukunft der Palästinenser. Es geht um den systematischen Versuch, die Möglichkeiten zu verhindern, dass junge Palästinenser sich mit einander organisieren, um eine gemeinsame freie Zukunft für ihr Volk zu gestalten : eine Zukunft, welche frei von Kolonialismus, Apartheid und Besatzung sein wird.

Diese Angriffe sind keine isolierte Einzelfälle, sondern systematische und kollektive Verstöße gegen die Rechte der Palästinensischen Studierenden auf Bildung, wie sie deutlich sowohl im Artikel 26 der allgemeinen Erklärung der Menschenrechte AEMR als auch im Artikel 13 des internationalen Pakts über wirtschaftliche, soziale und kulturelle Rechte, verankert wurden. Die Angriffe und Repression gegen die Studierenden sind nur eine Facette des zionistischen Apartheid-Verbrechens gegen das Palästinensische Volk.

Wir verurteilen die Mittäterschaft der Palästinensischen Autonomiebehörde, die nicht nur unfähig war, die Palästinensischen Studierenden zu schützen, sondern sie war auch in den politischen Verhaftungen, Belästigung und Repression gegen die Studentenbewegung mitinvolviert, im Rahmen ihrer “Sicherheitskoordination” mit der zionistischen Besatzung.

Auch die Palästinensischen Studierenden im 1948 besetzten Palästina — Palästinensische Studierende in “Israel” — sind von den Angriffen und Repressionen direkt betroffen. Die dauerhafte und systematische Diskriminierung beinhaltet das Verbot von studentischen Gruppen sowie das Verhindern von Demonstrationen und Protestaktionen.

Darüber hinaus sind die Palästinensischen und die Palästina-solidarischen Studentengruppen auf internationale Ebene die Zielscheibe von Diffamierungskampagnen, Organisationsverboten und administrativen Repressionen: diese anti-Palästinensischen Bemühungen bekommen offiziell sowie inoffiziell die Unterstützung von der “israelischen” Regierung und den pro-apartheid Lobby Organisationen weltweit. Gleichzeitig werden die Rechte der studentischen Palästinensischen Flüchtlinge auf Rückkehr in ihre besetzten Heimat Palästina mit Füßen getreten.

All diese Persekutionen werden durch die milliardenschweren Spenden, die militärischen Transaktionen und die unbeschränkte politische Unterstützung ermutigt, die die zionistische Entität von den imperialistischen Mächten bekommt, wie von den USA, Kanada, UK, EU-Staaten und Australien. Dies steht in Übereinstimmung mit der Militarisierung der Polizei in den imperialistischen Ländern sowie mit ihrer globalen Anwendung von militärischen und wirtschaftlichen Domination gegen die Völker der ganzen Welt. Die zionistische Persekution der Palästinenser spiegelt den Zustand der Repression gegen die populären Bewegungen wieder sowie gegen die marginalisierten Menschen in diesen Ländern, insbesondere die einheimischen und Black Liberation Bewegungen.

Wir können nicht und wir müssen auch nicht schweigen über die Repression gegen die Palästinensische Studentenbewegung und gegen die einzelnen Palästinensischen Studierenden hinter den zionistischen Gittern. Wir stehen auf der Seite der Palästinensischen Studierenden!

Wenn auch ihr unterschreiben möchtet, füllt bitte dieses Formular aus: http://bit.ly/palstudentsignon 

Nosotras, las organizaciones abajo firmantes, unimos nuestras voces en una llamada global para exigir la inmediata liberación de los estudiantes palestinos encarcelados y la protección de los derechos a la educación, a la libertad de expresión y participación política para los estudiantes palestinos y el derecho a procurarse un futuro mejor. Los estudiantes palestinos y específicamente el movimiento estudiantil palestino y las organizaciones estudiantiles palestinas han sido objeto de una dura represión, detención y encarcelamientos políticos por parte de la ocupación Israelí.

Nos unimos al llamado de acción y solidaridad en apoyo a los estudiantes palestinos encarcelados, que incluye:

 

  • Boicot, desinversiones y sanciones al estado de Israel, incluyendo a las instituciones académicas israelíes, las cuales son completamente cómplices del sistema que ejerce violaciones a los derechos de los palestinos.
  • Poner fin a toda la ayuda militar y económica, transacciones militares, proyectos conjuntos y financiamiento directo por parte de los gobiernos de todo el mundo al régimen de ocupación Israelí.
  • Desafiar los programas de “normalización” que tienen como objetivo legitimar la ocupación israelí- el cual es un intento de legitimar la criminalización y el acoso a estudiantes palestinos-.
  • Organizarse para construir enlaces directos de solidaridad con los estudiantes palestinos y el movimiento estudiantil palestino, para asegurarnos de que no queden aislados de su comunidad popular de apoyo, a pesar de todos los intentos de la ocupación israelí. 

**

Cientos de estudiantes palestinos son detenidos rutinariamente por las fuerzas de ocupación israelí, especialmente aquellos que forman parte de organizaciones estudiantiles involucradas en la vida política de los campus, a los cuales comúnmente se les imputa el cargo de “miembro de una organización prohibida”. Durante el año académico 2019-2020 en la Universidad de Bir Zeit, fueron detenidos por las fuerzas de ocupación, aproximadamente 74 estudiantes; siendo estos arrestados y secuestrados de sus casas, lugares de trabajo y campus universitario.

Una vez arrestados, los estudiantes palestinos son torturados mientras son interrogados- sometidos a posiciones de estrés, estirados en sillas; suspendidos de las paredes y forzados a estar parados de puntillas, privados del sueño, esposados y presionando los miembros lesionados y golpeados. 

Los estudiantes palestinos también pueden ser condenados con la llamada “detención administrativa”- encarcelamiento sin cargos ni juicio, pudiéndose renovar indefinidamente cada seis meses. Los palestinos habitualmente pasan años en la cárcel, sin cargos ni juicios, sin que exista alguna instancia que pueda defenderlos en el tema de la privación de sus derechos. Ellos pueden ser llevados ante las cortes militares israelíes, los cuales condenan a más del 99% de los palestinos juzgados allí.

Actualmente existen cerca de 5.000 presos políticos palestinos, encarcelados por Israel. El trabajo de la organización estudiantil, que va desde la realización de ferias del libro, hasta la participación en elecciones estudiantiles, ha sido criminalizado por parte del ente sionista. Además, muchos estudiantes han sido detenidos por asistir a manifestaciones o por postear cosas en sus perfiles en redes sociales.

Al utilizar como objetivo a los estudiantes palestinos, están atentando contra el futuro de los propios palestinos. Es un intento sistemático para socavar la capacidad de organización de los jóvenes palestinos que buscan la liberación de su pueblo: unificado, libre de colonización, apartheid y ocupación

Estos no son casos aislados, sino una violación directa y colectiva del derecho a la educación de los estudiantes palestinos, como se afirma en el Artículo 26 de la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos y el artículo 13 de del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales. La represión selectiva de estudiantes es solo una faceta del crimen de apartheid de Israel contra el pueblo palestino.

Condenamos la complicidad de la Autoridad Palestina, que no solo no ha defendido a los estudiantes palestinos, sino que también se ha involucrado en la detención política y el acoso de los movimientos estudiantiles como parte de su “coordinación de seguridad” con Israel.

Los estudiantes palestinos en la Palestina ocupada del ’48 – estudiantes palestinos en Israel – están sujetos a un hostigamiento y discriminación continuos y sistemáticos, que incluyen prohibiciones a grupos de estudiantes y prohibiciones de manifestaciones y protestas.

Además, los grupos internacionales de estudiantes palestinos así como los de solidaridad con Palestina, son el blanco de campañas de difamación, se les prohíbe tener organizaciones y son víctimas de la represión administrativa, estas acciones son respaldadas oficial y extraoficialmente por el gobierno israelí y las organizaciones de presión pro-apartheid en todo el mundo. Mientras tanto, a los estudiantes palestinos refugiados se les niega el derecho a regresar a la Palestina ocupada.

Esta persecución está respaldada por miles de millones de dólares en ayuda, transacciones militares y apoyo político ilimitado que le dan a Israel las principales potencias imperialistas, como son, Estados Unidos, Canadá, Reino Unido, los estados de la Unión Europea y Australia. Esto coincide con la militarización de la policía en los países imperialistas y su uso global de la dominación militar y económica contra los pueblos del mundo. La persecución de palestinos por parte del régimen de ocupación israelí, refleja la represión estatal de los movimientos populares y los pueblos marginados en estos países, especialmente los movimientos de liberación indígenas y negros.

No podemos ni debemos permanecer callados sobre la persecución del movimiento estudiantil palestino y de estudiantes palestinos individuales tras las rejas israelíes. ¡Apoyamos a los estudiantes palestinos!

Agregue el nombre de su organización a esta declaración: http://bit.ly/palstudentsignon

Vi, de undertecknade organisationerna, sluter samman våra röster i ett globalt upprop för fängslade palestinska studenters omedelbara frigivning och till försvar för palestinska studenters rätt till utbildning, till politiskt uttryck och engagemang och till att avgöra sin egen framtid. Den israeliska ockupation förföljer palestinska studenter och, i synnerhet, den palestinska studentrörelsen och palestinska studentorganisationer med sträng repression och politiskt fångenskap.

Tillsammans manar vi till handling och stöd till palestinska studenter bakom galler, inklusive:

  • Bojkott, avinvestering och sanktioner mot Israel, inklusive israeliska akademiska institutioner som är fullt delaktiga i systematiska kränkningar av palestiniers rättigheter.
  • Slut på allt militärt och ekonomiskt stöd, militära utbyten, gemensamma projekt och direkt finansiering till den israeliska ockupationsregimen från regeringar världen över.
  • Utmana program för “normalisering” som syftar till att legitimera den israeliska ockupationen – detta är ett försök att legitimera kriminaliseringen och förföljelsen av palestinska studenter.
  • Organisera upprättandet av direkta solidaritetsband med palestinska studenter och den palestinska studentrörelsen för att se till att de inte isoleras globalt trots den israeliska ockupationens alla försök.

**

Hundratals palestinska studenter fängslas rutinmässigt av den israeliska ockupationen, särskilt de som är del av studentorganisationer som är aktiva i det politiska livet på universitet och högskolor. Bara vid Bir Zeit-universitetet fängslades ungefär 74 studenter av ockupationssoldater under läsåret 2019-2020. De hör till nästan 5 000 palestinska politiska fångar som årligen hålls fängslade av Israel. Studentorganisationers verksamhet, från att hålla bokmässor till att anordna öppna arrangemang och att delta i studentkårval kriminaliseras av den israeliska ockupationen. Studenter fängslas ytterligare för deltagande i politiska demonstrationer eller för innehåll på sina sociala medieprofiler.

Palestinska studenter har gripits av israeliska ockupationsstyrkor och blivit bortförda för sin delaktighet i studentrörelsen i sina hem, på sina arbetsplatser och på deras lärosäten.

När de väl är gripna utsätts palestinska studenter rutinmässigt för tortyr under förhör – utsatta för plågsamma kroppspositioner, bakböjda över stolar, upphängda från väggar och tvingade att stå på tår, berövade på sömn, handbundna och plågade med tryck på skadade kroppsdelar, och helt enkelt slagna.

Palestinska studenter kan bli skickade till administrativt förvar – fängsling utan åtal eller rättegång, obegränsat förlängbart i sexmånadersperioder. Palestinier hålls rutinmässigt fängslade i åratal utan åtal, utan rättegång och utan något större hinder mot kränkningarna mot deras rättigheter. De kan ställas inför israelisk militärdomstol, som dömer 99% av alla palestinier som åtalas där.

Ett av de vanligaste åtalspunkterna är ”medlemskap i en förbjuden organisation”, typiskt sett en hänvisning till studentblocken. Dessa representerar hela det palestinska politiska spektrumet. De anordnar föreläsningar, bokmässor, massmöten och andra studentaktiviteter och deltar i kårval. Brottsförteckningen hänvisar ofta till dessa helt vanliga studentaktiviteter, som allmänt anses vara en barometer för den bredare palestinska opinionen.

Förföljelsen av palestinska studenter är ett angrepp på palestinska framtider. Det är ett systematiskt försöka att underminera unga palestiniers förmåga att organisera tillsammans för en befriat framtid för sitt folk: En framtid fri från kolonisering, apartheid och ockupation.

Detta är inte isolerade fall, utan en direkt och kollektiv kränkning av palestinska studenters rätt till utbildning, som fastställt i artikel 26 i FN:s allmänna förklaring om de mänskliga rättigheterna och artikel 13 i Konventionen om ekonomiska, sociala och kulturella rättigheter. Den riktade repressionen mot studenter är bara en aspekt av Israels apartheidbrott mot Palestinas folk.

Vi fördömer Palestinska myndighetens medbrottslighet inte bara för att den har misslyckats att skydda och försvara palestinska utan även för att den har ägnat sig åt politisk repression mot studentrörelsen som del av dess ”säkerhetssamordning” med Israel.

Palestinska studenter i ockuperade Palestina ‘48, – palestinska studenter i Israel – utsätts för pågående, systematiska trakasserier och diskriminering, inklusive förbud mot studentgrupper och mot demonstrationer och protester.

Vidare så utsätts palestinska och pro-palestinska studentgrupper internationellt för förtalskampanjer, organisationsförbud och administrativ repression, åtgärder som officiellt och inofficiellt stöds av den israeliska regeringen och apartheidvänliga lobbyorganisationer. 

Denna förföljelse stöttas av flera miljarders dollar i stöd, militära utbyten och obegränsat politiskt stöd som ges Israel av imperialistiska stormakter som USA, Kanada, Storbritannien, EU och dess enskilda medlemsstater och Australien. Detta sammanfaller med polisens militarisering i imperialistiska länder och deras globala användning av militär och ekonomisk dominans mot världens folk. Israelisk förföljelse speglar den statliga repression mot folkrörelser och mot marginaliserade folk i dessa länder, i synnerhet urfolksrörelser och rörelser för svartas frigörelse.

Vi kan och får inte förbli tysta om förföljelsen av den palestinska studentrörelsen och av individuella palestinska studenter bakom israeliska galler. Vi står med palestinska studenter!

Lägg till din organisations namn till detta uttalande: http://bit.ly/palstudentsignon

Nós, as organizações abaixo assinadas, juntamos nossas vozes em uma chamada global para exigir a liberdade imediata dos estudantes palestinos presos e a proteção do direito dos estudantes palestinos à educação, direito à expressão política e envolvimento e direito de determinar seu próprio futuro. A ocupação israelense tem como alvo os estudantes palestinos e, especificamente, o movimento estudantil palestino e organizações estudantis palestinas por repressão severa e detenção política e prisão.

Nos unimos para pedir ação e apoio aos estudantes palestinos atrás das grades, incluindo:

  •         Boicote, desinvestimento e sanções (BDS) contra Israel, incluindo instituições acadêmicas israelenses, que são totalmente cúmplices da privação sistemática dos direitos palestinos.
  •         Acabar com toda a ajuda militar e econômica, transações militares, projetos conjuntos e financiamento direto ao regime de ocupação israelense por governos de todo o mundo.
  •         Desafiando os programas de “normalização” que visam legitimar a ocupação israelense – esta é uma tentativa de legitimar a criminalização e o direcionamento de estudantes palestinos.
  •         Organizando-se para construir ligações diretas de solidariedade com os estudantes palestinos e o movimento estudantil palestino, para garantir que eles não fiquem isolados de sua comunidade global de apoio, apesar de todas as tentativas da ocupação israelense.

**

Centenas de estudantes palestinos são rotineiramente detidos pela ocupação israelense, especialmente aqueles que fazem parte de organizações estudantis envolvidas com a vida política do campus. Somente na Bir Zeit University, aproximadamente 74 estudantes foram detidos por soldados da ocupação durante o ano acadêmico de 2019-2020. Eles estão entre os quase 5.000 presos políticos palestinos encarcerados por Israel. O trabalho de organização estudantil, desde a realização de feiras de livros até a organização de eventos e participação nas eleições estudantis, é criminalizado pela ocupação israelense. Ainda mais alunos são detidos por participarem de manifestações ou por postar em seus perfis de mídia social.

Estudantes palestinos foram capturados pelas forças de ocupação israelenses e sequestrados por sua participação no movimento estudantil em suas casas, em seus locais de trabalho e em seus campi.

Uma vez presos, os estudantes palestinos são rotineiramente submetidos à tortura sob interrogatório – submetidos a posições de estresse e estendidos sobre cadeiras, suspensos nas paredes e forçados a ficar na ponta dos pés, privados de sono, algemados e pressionados em membros feridos e espancados. 

Estudantes palestinos podem ser enviados para detenção administrativa – prisão sem acusação ou julgamento, indefinidamente renovável em períodos de seis meses. Os palestinos costumam passar anos presos sem acusações, sem julgamento e sem contestação real à privação de seus direitos. Eles podem ser levados aos tribunais militares israelenses, que condenam mais de 99% dos palestinos acusados ​​ali. 

Uma das acusações mais comuns é “filiação a uma organização proibida”, geralmente referindo-se aos blocos estudantis. Estes representam todo o espectro da política palestina. Eles organizam palestras, feiras de livros, comícios e outros eventos no campus e participam das eleições estudantis. As folhas de cobrança geralmente se referem a essas atividades padrão da vida no campus, que são amplamente interpretadas como um barômetro para a opinião política palestina mais ampla.

O alvo dos estudantes palestinos é um ataque ao futuro palestino. É uma tentativa sistemática de minar a capacidade dos jovens palestinos de se organizarem por um futuro liberado para seu povo: um futuro livre de colonização, apartheid e ocupação. 

Estes não são casos isolados, mas uma violação direta e coletiva do direito dos estudantes palestinos à educação, conforme afirmado no Artigo 26 da Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos e no Artigo 13 do Pacto Internacional sobre Direitos Econômicos, Sociais e Culturais. A repressão direcionada a estudantes é apenas uma faceta do crime de apartheid de Israel contra o povo palestino. 

Condenamos a cumplicidade da Autoridade Palestina, que não apenas falhou em defender os estudantes palestinos, mas também se envolveu na detenção política e no assédio de movimentos estudantis como parte de sua “coordenação de segurança” com Israel. 

Estudantes palestinos na Palestina ocupada em ’48 – estudantes palestinos em Israel – estão sujeitos a assédio e discriminação contínuos e sistemáticos, incluindo proibições de grupos estudantis e proibições de manifestações e protestos. 

Além disso, grupos de estudantes solidários palestinos e palestinos internacionalmente são alvos de campanhas de difamação, proibição de organizações e repressão administrativa, com esses esforços oficialmente e não oficialmente apoiados pelo governo israelense e por organizações de lobby pró-apartheid em todo o mundo. Enquanto isso, estudantes palestinos refugiados têm negado o direito de retornar à Palestina ocupada. 

Esta perseguição é apoiada por bilhões de dólares em ajuda, transações militares e apoio político ilimitado dado a Israel por grandes potências imperialistas como os Estados Unidos, Canadá, Reino Unido, Estados da União Europeia e Austrália. Isso coincide com a militarização da polícia nos países imperialistas e seu uso global da dominação militar e econômica contra os povos do mundo. A perseguição israelense aos palestinos reflete a repressão estatal aos movimentos populares e aos povos marginalizados nesses países, especialmente os movimentos de libertação negra e indígena.

 

Não podemos e não devemos permanecer calados sobre a perseguição do movimento estudantil palestino e de estudantes palestinos individuais atrás das grades israelenses. Apoiamos os estudantes palestinos! 

O abaixo assinado: 

Adicione o nome da sua organização a esta declaração: http://bit.ly/palstudentsignon

Noi, organizzazioni firmatarie, uniamo le nostre voci in questo appello mondiale per rivendicare la liberazione immediata degli studenti palestinesi prigionieri, la tutela del loro diritto all’educazione, all’espressione e all’impegno politico cosí come il loro diritto a determinare il loro avvenire. L’occupazione israeliana ha preso di mira gli studenti palestinesi, soprattutto il movimento studentesco palestinese e le organizzazioni studentesche palestinesi, attraverso una severa repressione oltre alle detenzioni politiche e incarcerazioni.

Ci uniamo per invitare all’azione e al sostegno di questi studenti palestinesi dietro le sbarre:

  • Il boicottaggio, il disinvestimento e le sanzioni contro Israele, comprese le istituzioni accademiche israeliane, che sono pienamente complici della sistematica privazione dei diritti dei palestinesi.
  • La cessazione di tutti gli aiuti militari ed economici, le transazioni militari, i progetti comuni e il finanziamento diretto del regime di occupazione israeliano da parte dei governi di tutto il mondo.
  • La messa in discussione dei programmi di “normalizzazione” che mirano a legittimare l’occupazione israeliana e che incarnano un tentativo di legittimare la criminalizzazione e il prendere di mira gli studenti palestinesi.
  • Organizzarsi per creare legami diretti di solidarietà con gli studenti palestinesi e il movimento studentesco palestinese, assicurando il fallimento dei tentativi di isolarli dal sostegno della comunità internazionale nonostante tutti i tentativi dell’occupazione israeliana.

**

Centinaia di studenti palestinesi sono cotinuamente detenuti dall’occupazione israeliana, specialmente quelli che fanno parte di organizzazioni studentesche coinvolte nella vita politica dei loro campus. Nella sola università di Bir Zeit, circa 74 studenti sono stati detenuti dalle forze di occupazione durante l’anno accademico 2019-2020. Fanno parte dei circa 5.000 prigionieri politici palestinesi detenuti da Israele. Il lavoro di organizzazione degli studenti, che va dalla semplice organizzazione di fiere del libro all’organizzazione di eventi e alla partecipazione alle elezioni studentesche, è criminalizzato dall’occupazione israeliana. Cosí, un numero crescente di studenti viene arrestato per aver partecipato a proteste o per aver pubblicato sui propri profili personali sui social media.

Degli studenti palestinesi vengono arrestati dalle forze di occupazione israeliane per la loro partecipazione al movimento studentesco, oltre ad essere rapiti dalle loro case, luoghi di lavoro o campus.

Una volta arrestati, gli studenti palestinesi vengono regolarmente sottoposti a tortura durante gli interrogatori: vengono sottoposti a posizioni di stress e tirati su delle sedie, appesi ai muri e costretti a stare in punta di piedi, privati ​​del sonno, ammanettati, sottoposti a pressioni fisiche sulle loro ferite e picchiati.

Gli studenti palestinesi possono essere mandati in detenzione amministrativa: una forma di detenzione senza accusa né processo, rinnovabile a tempo indeterminato per periodi di sei mesi. I palestinesi trascorrono abitualmente anni in prigione senza accusa, senza processo e senza una vera possibilità di opporsi alla negazione dei loro diritti. Possono essere portati davanti ai tribunali militari israeliani, che condannano oltre il 99% dei palestinesi processati.

Una delle accuse più comuni è quella di “appartenere a un’organizzazione fuorilegge”, riferendosi generalmente alle organizzazioni studentesche. Queste ultime sono rappresentative dell’intero spettro della politica palestinese. Organizzano conferenze, fiere del libro, raduni e altri eventi nel campus, oltre a partecipare alle elezioni studentesche. Le carte d’accusa fanno spesso riferimento a queste attività basilari della vita del campus, che sono ampiamente interpretate come un barometro dell’opinione politica palestinese in generale.

Prendere di mira studenti palestinesi è un attacco al futuro stesso dei palestinesi. È un tentativo sistematico di minare la capacità dei giovani palestinesi di organizzarsi tra loro per un futuro libero per il loro popolo: un futuro libero dalla colonizzazione, dall’apartheid e dall’occupazione.

Questi non sono casi isolati, ma una violazione diretta e collettiva del diritto degli studenti palestinesi all’istruzione, come affermato dall’articolo 26 della Dichiarazione universale dei diritti dell’uomo e dall’articolo 13 del Patto internazionale sui diritti economici, sociali e culturali. La repressione mirata contro gli studenti è solo un aspetto del regime criminale di apartheid orchestrato da Israele contro il popolo palestinese.

Condanniamo la complicità dell’Autorità Palestinese, che non solo non è riuscita a difendere gli studenti palestinesi, ma si è anche impegnata nella detenzione politica e nella repressione dei movimenti studenteschi come parte del suo “coordinamento per la sicurezza” con Israele.

Gli studenti palestinesi in Palestina occupata del 48 (studenti palestinesi in Israele) affrontano molestie e discriminazioni sistematiche e continue, compreso il divieto di gruppi di studenti e il divieto di manifestazioni e proteste.

Inoltre, i gruppi studenteschi palestinesi e la solidarietà internazionale con la Palestina sono l’obiettivo costante di campagne diffamatorie, dissoluzione e repressione amministrativa, con il sostegno ufficiale e non del governo israeliano e delle organizzazioni a favore dell’apartheid in tutto il mondo. Nel frattempo, agli studenti rifugiati palestinesi viene negato il diritto di tornare in Palestina occupata.

Questa persecuzione è sostenuta dai miliardi di dollari in aiuti, dalle transazioni militari e dal sostegno politico incondizionato fornito ad Israele dalle grandi potenze imperialiste come gli Stati Uniti, il Canada, il Regno Unito, gli Stati membri dell’Unione europea e l’ Australia. Ciò coincide con la militarizzazione della polizia nei paesi imperialisti e l’utilizzo globale del dominio militare ed economico contro i popoli del mondo. La persecuzione israeliana dei palestinesi riflette la repressione statale dei movimenti popolari e dei popoli emarginati in questi paesi, in particolare i movimenti di liberazione degli indigeni e dei neri.

Non possiamo e non dobbiamo restare in silenzio di fronte alla persecuzione del movimento studentesco palestinese e degli studenti palestinesi dietro le sbarre israeliane. Siamo al fianco degli studenti palestinesi!

Aggiungi il nome della tua organizzazione a questa dichiarazione : http://bit.ly/palstudentsignon

پویش همبستگی و حمایت از دانشجویان فلسطینی

ما امضا کنندگان این پویش، خواستار آزادی فوری و بی قید و شرط دانشجویان فلسطینی در زندان های رژیم صهیونیستی هستیم. ما همچنین خواستار حمایت از حق تحصیل دانش آموزان و دانشجویان فلسطینی ، حق آزادی بیان و مشارکت سیاسی آنان همراه با حق تعیین سرنوشت برای  آینده فلسطینیان هستیم. جنبش ها، فعالان، و تشکل‌های دانشجویی فلسطینی همواره از اهداف اشغالگران صهیونیست بوده اند که این امر منجر به سرکوب شدید، بازداشت سیاسی، وحبس بسیاری از دانش آموزان و دانشجویان فلسطینی شده است.

در این فراخوان جهانی ما با هم متحد شده و خواستار اقدام و پشتیبانی از دانشجویان فلسطینی در حبس هستیم.

  • حمایت و پیوستن به پویش جهانی انزوا و عدم سرمایه‌گذاری در اسرائیل از جمله موسسات علمی و دانشگاهی این کشور که در محرومیت سیستماتیک حقوق فلسطینیان شریک هستند.
  • پایان دادن به همه کمک های نظامی و اقتصادی ، معاملات نظامی ، پروژه های مشترک و اختصاص بودجه مستقیم به رژیم اشغالگر اسرائیل توسط دولت های سراسر جهان.
  • به چالش کشیدن برنامه های “عادی سازی” روابط با اسرائیل که هدف آنها مشروعیت بخشیدن به این رژیم اشغالگر است – “عادی سازی” همچنین تلاشی برای مشروعیت بخشیدن به جرم انگاری و هدف قرار دادن دانشجویان فلسطینی است.
  • تلاش برای سازماندهی، ایجاد پیوندهای مستقیم و همبستگی با دانشجویان فلسطینی و جنبش دانشجویی فلسطین ، تا اطمینان حاصل شود که آنها بر خلاف همه تلاش های رژیم صهیونیستی ، از حمایت جامعه حمایت جهانی محروم نخواهند شد.

صدها تن دانشجويان فلسطينی، خصوصاً آن تشکل‌های دانشجويی که در فعالیت های سياسی دانشگاه ها حضور دارند، بطور مستمر توسط رژیم صهیونیستی بازداشت می شوند. بین سال ۲۰۱۹-۲۰۲۰ فقط در دانشگاه بیر زیت ، تقریباً 74 دانشجو توسط اشغالگران صهیونیست زندانی شده اند. این عدد بخش کوچکی از آمار ۵۰۰۰ نفر زندانیان سیاسی رژیم صهیونیستی است. کار سازماندهی و فعالیت دانشجویی، از برگزاری نمایشگاه های کتاب گرفته تا برپایی رویدادها و شرکت در انتخابات دانشجویی ، توسط رژیم صهیونیستی جرم شناخته شده است و هر روز دانشجویان بیشتری به دلیل پیوستن به تظاهرات یا فعالیت سیاسی در شبکه‌های اجتماعی بازداشت می‌شوند.

دانشجویان فلسطینی به دلیل مشارکت در جنبش دانشجویی در خانه هایشان ، در محل کارشان و در دانشگاه هایشان توسط نیروهای اشغالگر اسرائیلی دستگیر و ربوده شده‌اند. به طور معمول دانشجویان فلسطینی پس از دستگیری تحت بازجویی و شکنجه قرار می‌گیرند.  آنها اغلب به اجبار در موقعیت های استرس زا قرار مي‌گیرند.، روی صندلی ها کشیده می‌شوند ، از دیوارها آویزان می‌شوند و مجبور می‌شوند روی نوک انگشتان بایستند ، از خواب محروم می شوند ، دست و پای آنها بسته می‌شوند و اندام آسیب دیده انها  تحت فشار و مورد ضرب و شتم قرار مي‌گیرند.

دانشجویان فلسطینی بعضا بدون اتهام و یا بدون برگزاری دادگاه و به مدت نامشخص بازداشت می‌شوند. فلسطینی ها به طور معمول بدون هیچ اتهام، محاکمه و بدون هیچ گونه فرصت برای دفاع از حق خود سال ها در زندان به سر می‌برند. بعضی از آنها ممکن است به دادگاه‌های نظامی اسرائیل ، که بیش از 99٪ فلسطینیان متهم را در آنجا محکوم می کنند، معرفی شوند.

یکی از شایع ترین اتهامات “عضویت در یک سازمان ممنوع” است که معمولاً به تشکل‌های دانشجویی اشاره دارد. این تشکل ها نمایانگر طیف کاملی از سیاست فلسطین هستند. آنها سخنرانی‌ها ، نمایشگاه های کتاب ، تجمعات و سایر رویدادهای دانشگاه را ترتیب می دهند و در انتخابات دانشجویی شرکت می‌کنند و در قرائت اتهامات اغلب به این فعالیت‌های معمول دانشجویی اشاره می‌شود.

هدف قرار دادن دانشجویان فلسطینی حمله به آینده فلسطینیان است. این یک تلاش سیستماتیک برای تضعیف ظرفیت جوانان فلسطینی برای سازماندهی با یکدیگر برای آینده و آزادی مردمشان است: آینده ای عاری از استعمار ، آپارتاید، و اشغال.

این موارد جدا و منفرد ازهم نیستند، بلکه نقض مستقیم و جمعی حق تحصیل دانشجویان فلسطینی است که در ماده 26 اعلامیه جهانی حقوق بشر و ماده 13 میثاق بین المللی حقوق اقتصادی ، اجتماعی و فرهنگی تأیید شده است. سرکوب هدفمند دانشجویان تنها یک جنبه از آپارتاید اسرائیل علیه مردم فلسطین است.

ما همدستی مقامات فلسطینی را با اسرائیل برای کمک به بازداشت سیاسی و آزار و اذیت جنبش‌های دانشجویی بشدت محکوم می کنیم. این اقدام مقامات فلسطینی تحت عنوان “هماهنگی امنیتی” با اسرائیل، منجر به بازداشت سیاسی و آزار و اذیت جنبش‌های دانشجویی شده است.

دانشجویان فلسطینی در رژیم صهیونیستی تحت آزار و اذیت و تبعیض مداوم ، از جمله ممنوعیت فعالیت‌های دانشجویی و ممنوعیت تظاهرات و اعتراضات قرار دارند. بعلاوه ، تشکل‌های دانشجویی همبستگی با فلسطین در دنیا هدف حمله ، سرکوب، ممنوعیت، و افترا توسط سازمان‌های رسمی یا غیررسمی دولت اسرائیل و لابی طرفدار آپارتاید قرارهستند.

این آزار و اذیت با میلیاردها دلار کمک ، معاملات نظامی و پشتیبانی سیاسی نامحدود از طرف قدرت‌های بزرگ امپریالیستی مانند ایالات متحده ، کانادا ، انگلستان ، کشورهای اتحادیه اروپا و استرالیا به اسرائیل انجام می‌شود. این پشتیبانی همزمان مصادف با نظامی گری پلیس در کشورهای امپریالیستی و استفاده جهانی آنها از خشونت برای استمرار سلطه اقتصادی بر مردم جهان است. آزار و اذیت و سرکوب فلسطینیان توسط اسرائیل آینه تمام نمای سرکوب و خشونت دولت‌های سرمایه دار امپریالیستی علیه جنبش‌های مردمی و طبقه مظلوم در این کشورها ، به ویژه جنبش‌های آزادی‌بخش بومی و سیاه پوستان است.

ما نمی‌توانیم و نباید در برابر آزار و شکنجه جنبش دانشجویان فلسطینی که در زندان های اسرائیل قرار دارند سکوت کنیم. ما در کنار دانشجویان فلسطینی ایستاده ایم!

نام سازمان خود را به این فراخوان اضافه کنید: http://bit.ly/palstudentsignon

Organizations Supporting the Campaign

  • 100 Idee per la Pace Siena – Italy
  • Action Antifasciste Paris Banlieue
  • ADDICTED To WAR
  • AFPS 0726 (Association France Palestine Solidarité Groupe local Ardèche Drôme)
  • AFPS 63 (France)
  • AFPS Douai
  • AFPS Nord- Pas de Calais
  • AFPS Paris 14-6
  • AFPS PARIS-SUD
  • Africa4Palestine
  • Al Quds Day Committee of New York
  • Al-Awda NY, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition
  • Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition
  • Alkarama Palestinian women’s movement)
  • All Nepal Peasants’ Federation (ANPFa)
  • All Nepal Peasants’ Federation (Revolutionary Centre)
  • Alliance for Global Justice
  • Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine
  • Allt åt Alla Kvinnofront
  • القطب الطلابي الديمقراطي التقدمي Al Qutob – Progressive Democratic Student Pole at Bir Zeit University
  • Al-Yudur Juventud Palestina | Al-Juzour Palestinian Youth
  • Amis des Arts et de al Culture de Palestine
  • AMP-NJ
  • Anakbayan-USA
  • Anti Imperialist Action Ireland
  • Anti-Imperialist Alliance – Ottawa
  • Anti-Imperialist Alliance Youth (AIA Youth – Ottawa)
  • Anti-Imperialist Front – France (AIF)
  • Antirasistiska Akademin
  • Arbetarmakt (Workers Power) – Swedish Section of The League for the Fifth International
  • ARENE (Association des ResidEnts de NanterrE)
  • Asamblea Plaza de los Pueblos Madrid
  • Asociación Brasileña Maloka
  • Asociación Estudiantil Madrid
  • Asociación Palestina Biladi
  • Asociación Punto Feminista Alcorcón
  • Asociación Teatro de la Tierra
  • Asociación Unadikum
  • Associación Americana de Juristas
  • Association Car t’y es libre
  • Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine (AURDIP)
  • Association Eunomia
  • Association for Investment in Popular Action Committees
  • Association France Palestine Solidarité d’Albertville
  • Association France Palestine Solidarité Loire
  • Association France Palestine Solidarité Nîmes
  • Association Najdeh
  • Association Nationale des Communistes – ANC
  • Association of Palestinian Students – University of Toronto Mississauga
  • Association of Student Activism for Palestine (A.S.A.P))
  • Associazione Amicizia Sardegna Palestina
  • Associazione Senza Paura Genova
  • AssoPacePalestina
  • Atelier Gaza
  • Australia Solidarity with Latin America
  • Bahraini society against normalization with Zionist enemy
  • Bahraini Society to Resist Normalization with Zionism
  • Basler Frauen für Frieden und Fortschritt
  • Baslerfreuenvereinigung für Frieden und Fortschritt
  • Bathurst Street United Church
  • BAYAN Canada
  • BAYAN Canada
  • BAYAN USA
  • BDS France Marseille
  • BDS France Montpellier
  • BDS Genova
  • BDS Maroc – BDS المغرب
  • BDS Mexico
  • BDS Vancouver – Coast Salish Territories
  • Belgian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BACBI)
  • Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG)
  • Boycott, Divest, Sanction, on CATerpillar
  • Bündnis gegen Krieg / Hände weg von Syrien
  • California Scholars for Academic Freedom
  • Campagne Unitaire pour la Libération de Georges Abdallah
  • Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament (CICD)
  • Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat
  • Canada Palestine Association
  • Canada Palestine Support Network (CanPalNet)
  • Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR)
  • Canadian BDS Coalition
  • Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3902 BDS Committee
  • Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)
  • CAPJPO-EuroPalestine
  • Catholics for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land (Canada)
  • Center for Study and Preservation of Palestine
  • Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies
  • Centro Culturale Handala Ali – مركز حنظله علي الثقافي
  • Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
  • Claremont Students for Justice in Palestine
  • Col·lectiu Intifada
  • Coletivo Feminista Classista ANA MONTENEGRO
  • Coletivo pelos direitos no Brasil
  • Collectif 65 pour la liberation de Georges Ibrahim Abdallah
  • Collectif 69 de soutien au peuple palestinien
  • Collectif Judéo Arabe et Citoyen pour la Palestine
  • Collectif Palestine Vaincra
  • Collectif stéphanois de soutien au peuple palestinien
  • Collettivo Palestina Rossa
  • Comité Antifa Saint Etienne
  • Comité d’actions et de soutien aux luttes du peuple marocain
  • Comité de Défense des Internés des Camps du Sud (Algérie)
  • Comite de Liberté pour Musa Aşoğlu!
  • Comité de solidarité avec le peuple palestinien/Casablanca
  • Comité de solidarité tunisien pour la libération de Georges Abdallah
  • Comité justice et vérité 31
  • Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche Orient (CPJPO)
  • Committee of Anti-Imperialists in Solidarity with Iran (CASI)
  • Communist Organization of Greece (KOE)
  • Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninst) Liberation
  • Communist Workers League
  • Comunidad Palestina de Chile
  • Confederación Intersindical Galega (CIG)
  • Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe – ATIK
  • Cordillera Peoples Alliance
  • Couserans-Palestine
  • CRED-GIGI
  • Cultura è Libertà, una campagna per la Palestina
  • Dallas Palestine Coalition
  • Deutsch-Palästinensischer Frauenverein e.V.
  • Dirección de DDHH y Pluralismo Cultural. FHyAr
  • Droit Solidarite
  • DSA BDS & Palestine Solidarity Working Group Steering Committee
  • East Los Angeles Revolutionary Action Party
  • Éirígí- for A New Republic
  • End the Deadly Exchange Seattle
  • Europal Forum – London
  • Finnish-Arab Friendship Society, FAFS
  • FIRMES: Federación Internacional de Resistencia Migrante en España
  • Fordham SJP
  • Framåt kamrater
  • Free CUNY!
  • Free Palestine Movement
  • Freedom Road Socialist Organization
  • French Friends of the Freedom Theatre in Jenin (ATL Jénine)
  • Friends of Palestine Against Imperialism and Zionism (Filistin Dostlari)
  • Friends of Sabeel North America
  • Front Populaire France (Turquie)
  • Front Uni des Immigrations et des Quartiers Populaires de Grenoble (FUIQP 38)
  • GABRIELA Alliance of Filipino Women
  • GABRIELA BC
  • Galizan People’s Union-UPG
  • GATS
  • Gazainfo
  • Giovani palestinesi d’Italia
  • Giuristi Democratici
  • GMB union z60 branch Lincoln
  • Green Mountain Solidarity With Palestine
  • Groupe Non-Violent LOUIS LECOIN
  • GUPS Aix-Marseille
  • Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
  • Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War
  • HRA:PI/CD3-IP (Human Rights Awareness: Palestine Israel/CD3 Israel Palestine
  • Human Rights March, Denmark
  • ILPS Commission on Children
  • Indiana Center for Middle East Peace
  • Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL)
  • Inminds Human Rights Group
  • International Action Center
  • International Association of Democratic Lawyers
  • International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)
  • International League of Peoples’ Struggle – Australia Chapter
  • International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) – Commission 10
  • International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) – US Northeast
  • International League of Peoples’ Struggle-US
  • International Social Movement France
  • International Solidarity Movement France
  • Internationalt Forum – Denmark
  • Int’l Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity
  • IPNOTGlobal
  • Ireland Information Group of Sweden
  • ISM Northern California
  • Israel Palestine Task Force
  • IU-Marx Madera
  • IWA – Europe
  • Jailhouse Lawyers Speak
  • Jeune Garde Lyon
  • Jeunes Communistes de la Loire (JC42)
  • Jeunes Communistes du Bas-Rhin (France)
  • Jeunesse solidaire
  • Jewish Voice for Peace – Bay Area
  • Jewish Voice for Peace – Los Angeles
  • Jewish Voice For Peace Central Ohio
  • Jews for Palestinian Right of Return
  • Jóvenes Izquierda Unida
  • Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste
  • Justice for Palestinians, Calgary
  • Justice pour la Palestine
  • KAMARAD-مجموعة عمل نشريّة كاماراد/تونس
  • Kia Ora Gaza (Aotearoa New Zealand)
  • Labor for Palestine
  • Landless Workers Movement – MST
  • L’association Couserans-Palestine
  • Le Collectif Rouge Internationalistes pour la libération des prisonniers révolutionnaire (Le CRI Rouge – Paris)
  • Le Collectif Solidarité Palestine Ouest Étang de Berre
  • Le Poing Levé Mirail
  • Le poing levé Paris 8
  • League of Filipino Students
  • League of Filipino Students – Cavite State University
  • League of Filipino Students PUP
  • Letters for Palestine – Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Lynne Stewart Organization
  • Mar de Lumes – Comité Galego de Solidariedade Internacionalista
  • Massachusetts Peace Action
  • Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church (MUPMC)
  • Mesa Migración y Antirracismo SBC
  • MOVIMIENTO WIPHALA España
  • الحملة الوطنية لتحرير الأسير جورج عبدالله National Campaign for the Liberation of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah
  • National Jericho Movement
  • National Lawyers Guild
  • National Lawyers Guild International Committee
  • National Lawyers Guild, Loyola Chicago Chapter
  • National Students for a Democratic Society
  • National Students for Justice in Palestine
  • Netherlands Palestine Committee
  • Netzwerk Freiheit für alle politischen Gefangenen Magdeburg
  • Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine-Israel (NMJPI)
  • Noi Restiamo
  • NorCal Sabeel
  • North America Nakba Tour
  • Nouveau Parti anticapitaliste (NPA, France)
  • NPA Jeunes
  • NY Boricua Resistance
  • NY4Palestine Coalition
  • Oakland Jericho
  • OPRA (Oakville Palestinian Rights Association)
  • Palästina Antikolonial
  • Palestina Libre Murcia España
  • Palestinalibre.org
  • Palestine Advocacy Project
  • Palestine Network Shining Waters Region, United Church of Canada
  • Palestine Solidarity Alliance of Hunter College CUNY
  • Palestine Solidarity Committee Stuttgart, Germany
  • Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
  • Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
  • Palestinian Cultural Club at the American University of Beirut
  • Palestinian Youth Movement
  • Pallasos en Rebeldia
  • Parti des Indigènes de la République
  • Peace Alliance Winnipeg
  • Palestine Solidarity Committee Stuttgart, Germany
  • Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
  • Palestine Speaks Palästina Spricht ( Coalition for Palestinian Rights and Against Racism)
  • Palestine13
  • Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
  • Palestinian Cultural Club at the American University of Beirut
  • Palestinian Youth Movement
  • Pallasos en Rebeldia
  • Parti des Indigènes de la République
  • Peace Alliance Winnipeg
  • Peoples Power Assemblies NYC
  • Peoples Power Assembly
  • Peoria No Ban No Wall
  • Philippines ‐ Palestine Friendship Association
  • Philippines Australia Union Link
  • PISTON
  • Plataforma Bolivariana de Solidaridad con Venezuela de Madrid
  • Plataforma Solidaria con Palestina de Valladolid
  • Plate-forme Charleroi-Palestine
  • Popular Resistance
  • Principles NOT Parties
  • Prisoners Solidarity Committee
  • Prisoners Solidarity Committee of Workers World Party
  • Progressive Lawyers Association, CHD
  • Project South
  • Rattvise och frihet center
  • Red Banner Anti-Imperialist Collective
  • Release Aging People in Prison/RAPP
  • Resistance Festival – Athens, Greece
  • Resistencia Saharaui
  • Rete della Conoscenza
  • Rete Romana di Solidarietà cin il Popolo Palestinese
  • Revolutionaire Eenheid
  • Revolutionary Communist Group
  • Rojavakommittéerna Göteborg
  • SABIR
  • Sacramento Area Peace Action
  • Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights
  • Sada Movement
  • Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns
  • Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
  • Santa Feans for Justice in Palestine
  • سير وصيرورة Sayr wa Sayroura
  • SDS (Students for a Democratic Society)
  • SDSU SJP
  • Secours Rouge de Belgique
  • Secours Rouge Genève
  • Secours Rouge International / International Red Help
  • Secours Rouge Montréal
  • Secours Rouge Toulouse
  • Secrétariat International de la CNT-France
  • Ship to Gaza – Gothenburg
  • جمعية شموع للمساواة / المغرب Shumu’a Association for Equality/Morocco
  • Sikhay-Marikina
  • SJP Chicago
  • SJP DePaul
  • SOAS Palestine Society
  • Socialist Action / Ligue pour l’Action socialiste
  • SODePAZ BALAMIL
  • Solidaires 09
  • Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights UBC
  • SPHR Queen’s
  • Stand with Kashmir
  • Studenten voor Rechtvaardigheid in Palestina
  • Students Against Israeli Apartheid, University of Toronto
  • Students Against the Occupation DK
  • Students for a Democratic Society – Georgia Tech
  • Students For Justice in Palestine – San Diego State University
  • Students for Justice in Palestine at Arizona State University
  • Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA
  • Students for Justice in Palestine at UMass Amherst
  • Students for Justice in Palestine, University of California Irvine
  • Students for Justice in Palestine, University of South Carolina
  • Students in Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill University (SPHR McGill)
  • Students Not Consumers
  • SUD Education 31-65
  • Sulong UBC
  • Temple Students for Justice in Palestine
  • The Global Campaign to Return to Palestine
  • The Palestine Committee of Norway
  • The Palestine Solidarity Committee – Austin, Tx
  • The Rachel Corrie Foundation
  • Theorie und Praxis Verlag
  • Trawunche Madrid (Coordinación de Apoyo al Pueblo Mapuche)
  • Trueque de Ley por Derecho
  • Tunisian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (TACBI)
  • UBC Social Justice Centre
  • UCL (union communiste libertaire)
  • UJFP
  • UMass Amherst SJP
  • Unión de Juventudes Comunistas de España – Communist Youth Union of Spain (UJCE)
  • Union Départementale des Syndicats CNT de Haute-Garonne
  • Union départementale des syndicats CNT des Pyrénées Orientales
  • Union des Étudiant·e·s de Toulouse – UET
  • Union Générale des Etudiants de Palestine – GUPS France
  • Union syndicale Solidaires
  • Unione degli Studenti
  • Unione Democratica Arabo Palestinese
  • Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East
  • Unité Communiste
  • United Methodists’ Holy Land Task Force
  • United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)
  • Unity of Child Rights Advocates Against Inhumane Treatment and Neglect of Children (UNCHAIN Children)
  • University of Leicester Palestine Society
  • US Boats to Gaza
  • US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
  • US Palestinian Community Network
  • UW United Students Against Sweatshops
  • Vänsterpartiet Göteborg
  • Victoria Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
  • V-SB (Vlaams Socialistische Beweging)
  • Wisconsin Bail Out The People Movement
  • Within Our Lifetime – United for Palestine
  • Women Against Military Madness
  • Women for Filipino Women and Children (WoW)
  • Women in Black, Vienna, Austria
  • Workers Assembly Against Racism
  • Workers Voice Socialist Movement, Louisiana
  • Workers World Party
  • Yeni Demokratik Gençlik – YDG
  • Youth Against War & Racism
  • Youth and Students Section of the Lebanese Communist Party

#FreePalestinianStudents Campaign Materials

We invite you to use these campaign materials in your own campaign! Please note that stickers and postcards of these images will be available – just write us at samidoun@samidoun.net to order some for your organization!

English Materials

Arabic Materials

French Materials

German Materials

Swedish Materials

Spanish Materials

Italian Materials

Posters

Use these easy to print, black-and-white PDFs to take selfies and add them to your social media with the hashtag, #FreePalestinian Students:

https://samidoun.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/free-pal-students.pdf

https://samidoun.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/boycott-israel.pdf

https://samidoun.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/free-palestinian-students.pdf

Actions You Can Take

Here are some actions that you can take to join the campaign and spread it in your local area and community!

We join together to call for action and support for Palestinian students behind bars, including: 

  • Boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, including Israeli academic institutions, which are fully complicit in the systematic deprivation of Palestinian rights.
  • Ending all military and economic aid, military transactions, joint projects and direct funding to the Israeli occupation regime by governments around the world.
  • Challenging “normalization” programs that aim to legitimize Israeli occupation — this is an attempt to legitimize the criminalization and targeting of Palestinian students.
  • Organizing to build direct links of solidarity with Palestinian students and the Palestinian student movement, to ensure that they will not be isolated from their global community of support despite all attempts by the Israeli occupation.

Writing Solidarity Letters

Palestinian prisoners and detainees repeatedly report that receiving letters from supporters around the world boosts morale and provides them with support. Israel wants to isolate Palestinian student leaders by keeping them behind bars, and letters help to break their isolation. This is a simple activity that can be done with physical distancing or combined with other prisoner support efforts. Contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net for a physical mailing address, or send us your letters — Samidoun in Occupied Palestine will share directly with the families and lawyers of detained students. 

Adopt a Prisoner

Share the stories of Palestinian student detainees with your community by “adopting” a prisoner. Share their stories, write letters to them and include their name and photo in your activities. Above, we’ve presented 25 student prisoners, and we’ll be continuing to share their stories and photos throughout this campaign. Please contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net for even more info on your organization’s adopted prisoner. 

Boycott Israel! Build the Academic Boycott

The academic boycott of Israel is a global call from Palestinian organizations, including student and faculty unions. As noted by the American Studies Association, “Israeli academic institutions function as a central part of a system that has denied Palestinians their basic rights.  Palestinian students face ongoing discrimination, including the suppression of Palestinian cultural events, and there is sanctioning and ongoing surveillance of Palestinian students and faculty who protest Israeli policies. Israeli universities have been a direct party to the annexation of Palestinian land. Armed soldiers patrol Israeli university campuses, and some have been trained at Israeli universities in techniques to suppress protestors.”

As noted by the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, “The academic boycott calls for an end to collaboration with and normalization of Israeli academic institutions, which are mostly state-controlled as well as complicit with Israeli occupation and apartheid. The overwhelming majority of Israeli intellectuals and academics have either contributed directly to maintaining, defending or otherwise justifying the above forms of oppression, or have been complicit in them through their silence. No Israeli academic institution or organization has ever taken an official collective stance in opposition to the Israeli state’s occupation and wars.

Students and faculty can play an important role in supporting the academic boycott and standing in solidarity with Palestinian students and academics whose right to education and academic freedom is denied by Israel. They can do so by organizing a range of activities and campaigns; for example:

  • Opposing Study Abroad in Israel programs that are based in Israeli academic institutions  and in doing so, exposing the complicity of Israeli universities with occupation and apartheid. Palestinian students in Israeli universities are also routinely subjected to racial harassment, surveillance, censorship,and disciplining .Such campaigns can highlight the restrictions on the freedom of travel and violations of academic freedom of Palestinian scholars and students as well as the lack of freedom experienced by Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim international students and scholars, who face restrictions when attempting to travel through Israeli borders for study, research, or academic exchange.
  • Passing a resolution in your academic association or student government society or faculty or graduate student union in support of the academic boycott.
  • Challenging the collaboration between academic programs at UScampuses and Israeli academic institutions and research institutes as a violation of the academic boycott.
  • Asking your university to support Palestinian academic and cultural institutions directly without requiring them to partner with Israeli counterparts as an explicit or implicit condition for such support.
  • Protesting talks by Israeli state officials or official representatives of Israeli academic institutions such as presidents, rectors or deans.
  • Opposing programs on campus to address the “Middle East conflict” that contract with anti-Palestinian organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) or the Simon Wiesenthal Center (Museum of Tolerance).Such organizations are also often involved in diversity and dialogue programs on campus and partner with student affairs offices.
  • Asking your administration or President/Chancellor to issue a public statement censuring Israeli destruction of Palestinian schools and universities and interference with Palestinian education, archives and re-search centers, for example, during the many wars on Gaza, and on an ongoing basis throughout occupied Palestine.
  • Organizing teach-ins or events with campus and community organizations at which the campaign for the economic, cultural and academic boycott of Israel can be fully and openly discussed, in addition to divestment.”

Protest, Rally and Organize

Organize a protest or direct action! The United States, Canada, EU states, Australia and Britain, among others, provide ongoing military, economic, diplomatic and political support to Israel to continue the repression of Palestinian students. Protest on your campus or in your city, highlighting government and media complicity, or act and organize at Israeli embassies, corporations and institutions in your area. Bring our materials to highlight the student prisoners’ situation while rallying for Palestinian liberation. We will be producing stickers and postcards for this campaign – email samidoun@samidoun.net to order some for your organization!

Join the Social Media March to #FreePalestinianStudents

You can support Palestinian students on social media as well. Use our materials and student prisoner photos on your individual or group social media pages, on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Take a selfie or a group photo with our posters or just post these images with a message of your own. Use the hashtag #FreePalestinianStudents.

Pass a Resolution

Academic associations, labor unions and student governments have passed resolutions calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, including divestment from complicit corporations and the academic boycott of Israel. Large student coalitions have been built to oppose racist police and investment in arms dealers and environmental destruction. Include the student prisoners in your resolution or pass a resolution specifically calling for freedom for imprisoned Palestinian students. Use the information in the call and resources to build your resolution! For further support, email samidoun@samidoun.net.

Resources for Your Student Prisoner Campaign

Here are some useful articles, resources and references for building your campaign, creating resolutions, and more. We’ll keep adding new resources here — contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net to suggest a resource! 

Video: Freedom for Palestinian Students!

Video: Steadfastness and Resistance — The Palestinian Prisoners’ Movement

Palestinian Women in Struggle (with Mays Abu Ghosh, Samah Jaradat and Wedad Barghouthi — ENGLISH TRANSLATION)

Palestinian Women in Struggle (with Mays Abu Ghosh, Samah Jaradat and Wedad Barghouthi — ORIGINAL ARABIC)

IAW Cagliari: Palestinian Students Targeted for Imprisonment

Sheffield Students Demand Freedom for Palestinian Student Detainees

Palestine Actionists detained illegally in Britain, homes raided

The following statement is republished from Palestine Action.

Since being arrested for occupying Elbit’s death factory in Shenstone yesterday, the 6 activists have been detained for longer than the legal 24-hour period, still without charges. Alongside this illegal detention, each activist has had their homes raided. It is unknown at this time whether their devices have been seized.

Police claim that the activists have caused substantial damage to Elbit Systems, but this pales in comparison to the damage that Elbit causes in the murder of innocent Palestinians.

Arriving before dawn, the 6 activists took over the covertly branded UAV Engines, a feeble attempt at covering up their reputation as war criminals. Police arrived on the scene and began by harassing a journalist with a press card, arresting them and disallowing them to film the occupation.

.During the occupation, the police brought a cherry-picker to transport them to the ground in order to arrest them. Activists sprayed this cherry-picker with the red paint used on the face of Elbit’s building, signifying the Palestinian blood spilled by Elbit’s drones and military technology. Windows, cameras and vents were smashed, their gates were chained shut, whilst the 6 activists stormed the building and occupied it in the name of Palestinian resistance.

This is the fourth time we’ve shut down Elbit’s factory in Shenstone in six months, only weeks after our occupation of Elbit-Ferranti with Extinction Rebellion North. We will not stop until Elbit is shut down.

Our persistence and determination in direct action sends a clear message to the immoral war mongers that profit off crimes against humanity. We will not stop until Elbit is chased out of the UK, and their murderous operations stop for good.

Please support the resistance by donating directly toward more factory shutdowns like what has happened in Shenstone again, by clicking the link!

Together, we will resist and we will win!

**

Earlier statement:

  • On Tuesday morning, activists from the direct-action network climbed on to the roof of Elbit’s UAV Engines factory in Staffordshire, smashed the windows and prevented the site from opening
  • Activists chained the factory gates shut to block off all access and splattered the building in blood-red paint
  • Palestine Action has vowed to continue targeting the Israeli arms company until it shuts down and vacates the UK 

Several activists from Palestine Action are occupying the roof of an Israeli-owned arms factory based in Shenstone, Staffordshire, and have blocked the entrances from the ground; forcing the site to halt its production of deadly weapons.

Arriving before dawn on Tuesday, activists took over the Elbit Systems factory, which is covertly branded as UAV Engines. They chained its gates shut, stormed the factory grounds, poured blood-red paint down the front of the building, smashed windows, sprayed the car park red, and displayed banners reading ‘Shut Elbit Down’ and ‘Elbit Arms: Israel Kills’.

 

…The action comes after a three-day rooftop occupation last September that cost the company an estimated £145,000 in damages. There have been other similar ‘shutdowns’ by Palestine Action in November 2020 and January 2021.

Today’s factory closure is the group’s second large-scale action this month: on 1st February, Palestine Action joined forces with Extinction Rebellion North to occupy Elbit-Ferranti in Oldham for 16 hours, in what was described as the “first of many” collaborations.

A member of Palestine Action said about today’s occupation:

“We’re back, and this is once again, a clear and unwavering message to the immoral profiteers of war and the perpetrators of crimes against humanity that we’re not going away until Elbit’s lethal chain of weapons factories are hounded out of the UK. Petitioning and protests don’t work, so it’s our moral obligation to take matters into our own hands and use direct action to shut these death factories down for good.”

Elbit Systems produces surveillance technology for Israel’s illegal apartheid wall and the engines for 85% of its military drones, among other weapons components. Its drones, which include the Hermes 450 and its later 900 model, were employed extensively during the 51-day attack on Gaza in 2014, which killed over 2,200 Palestinians, including 551 children.

Elbit markets its products as “battle-tested” and claims “outstanding capabilities” based on ”operational experience” gained from the experimental use of its weapons on the population of Gaza, around 50% of whom are children.

Over the last 16 years, Elbit has established a large presence in the UK, opening 10 production sites across England and Wales, including four factories. Since 2018, the UK government has bought £45m worth of military equipment from the company despite its role in aiding and escalating Israel’s war crimes in order to maintain its illegal occupation of Palestine and sustain its brutal system of apartheid.

In January, Britain’s Ministry of Defence gifted the company with a £102 million contract to develop new surveillance technology to enable “frontline” soldiers to detect and accurately fire on alleged “enemy” targets in a matter of seconds.

Palestine Action, which launched in August 2020, is working to shut Elbit’s UK-based war industry down and has collectively hit the firm’s sites around 50 times in just 6 months, also targeting its London landlord, LaSalle Investment Management.

Actions have caused Elbit’s factories to close on five separate occasions, while a series of occupations and well-attended public protests at its London HQ has disrupted the company’s business-as-usual complacency and raised considerable public awareness.

Palestine Action is a direct-action network of groups and individuals formed with the mandate of taking direct action against Elbit Systems’ UK locations at a grassroots level, calling for them all to be shut down and for the British Government to end its complicity in Israeli apartheid.

Open letter to Canadian federal politicians: Do not expand anti-terrorism laws in the name of anti-racism!

Photo credit: Romain Guy/Flickr

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network joined with over 170 organizations and individuals to sign on to this letter to Canadian federal political party leaders, initiated by the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group and Azeezah Kanji. This statement comes in response to the addition of four white supremacist organizations to the federal Terrorist Entities List, warning against the expansion of “anti-terror” provisions under the justification of fighting white supremacy.

As noted in the statement, “The listing of organizations like the Proud Boys alongside Palestinian and Kashmiri groups – as well as charities like IRFAN, proscribed for donating medical equipment to the Gaza Strip – conflates groups originating under or responding to long-term military occupation, with White supremacists and neo-Nazis, all under the rubric of a broad and inconsistent concept of “terrorism.” Moreover, given repeated revelations about the use of anti-terrorism surveillance tools against Indigenous land and water protectors and rights advocates,[x] we are profoundly concerned about the possibility of future listings being deployed to target Indigenous nations defending their sovereign, constitutional, and international rights.”

We note that Canada’s Israel lobby group, CIJA, attempted to take advantage of this moment to further distract attention from the threat of racism and white supremacy — while encouraging the expansion of the “terror list” — by smearing Samidoun’s work to defend Palestinian prisoners and trying to gin up support for war and sanctions on Iran.  We reiterate our call to “Scrap the Terror List!”  — now is the time to build our alliances to confront the politics of counterinsurgency directed against popular movements, from Palestine to the Philippines to Turtle Island.

February 22, 2021

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

The Honourable Erin O’Toole
Leader of the Opposition
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

Jagmeet Singh
Leader of the New Democratic Party
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

Yves-François Blanchet
Leader of the Bloc Québécois
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

Annamie Paul
Leader of the Green Party
Green Party of Canada
812-116 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON K1P 5G3

Via email

Re: Use of anti-terrorism laws to combat racism and white supremacism

Prime Minister Trudeau, Mr. O’Toole, Mr. Singh, M. Blanchet and Ms. Paul,

As organizations and individuals with expertise in anti-racism, law, and/or human rights, we write to express our deep concern about the use of anti-terrorism powers to address the threat of White supremacism.

The growth, proliferation, and emboldening of White supremacist and far-right groups across Canada – numbering more than 300, according to one recent academic count[i] – is alarming, and urgently requires a strong response. We applaud and support the intention to condemn White supremacism communicated by the recent addition of the Proud Boys, Atomwaffen, the Base, and the Russian Imperial Movement to the terrorist entities list. However, the entrenchment and expansion of problematic anti-terrorism tools threatens to further intensify racism, rather than alleviate it.

Serious issues with Canada’s terrorist listing procedure identified by civil liberties groups, lawyers, and legal academics include: the imposition of serious financial and possibly criminal consequences on the basis of unaccountable executive listing decisions; the use of secret evidence; the likelihood of false positives; and the absence of adequate avenues for challenging listings and obtaining redress. This is exacerbated by the seizure of assets, making legal counsel difficult if not impossible to retain.[ii]

These shortcomings and the need for a substantive overhaul of the listing procedure were highlighted by many experts and advocates when Bill C-36, the Anti-Terrorism Act, was debated and adopted twenty years ago, and have been consistently pressed over the years since.

As University of Toronto Law Professor and noted national security expert Kent Roach has observed: “Unfortunately, a few token additions [of far-right organizations] to long lists of proscribed groups does nothing to address the many due process and operational flaws of proscription.”[iii]

Indeed, nine more groups identified as “Islamist” were added as terrorist entities at the same time as the Proud Boys and others. This perpetuates the discriminatorily Muslim-centric focus of Canadian anti-terrorism in general,[iv] and the listing procedure in particular,[v] despite the far greater toll inflicted by White supremacist and right-wing actors within Canada.[vi] The listing of organizations like the Proud Boys alongside Palestinian and Kashmiri groups – as well as charities like IRFAN, proscribed for donating medical equipment to the Gaza Strip[vii] – conflates groups originating under or responding to long-term military occupation,[viii] with White supremacists and neo-Nazis, all under the rubric of a broad and inconsistent concept of “terrorism.”[ix]

Moreover, given repeated revelations about the use of anti-terrorism surveillance tools against Indigenous land and water protectors and rights advocates,[x] we are profoundly concerned about the possibility of future listings being deployed to target Indigenous nations defending their sovereign, constitutional, and international rights.

The systemic racism pervasive in Canadian national security institutions has been documented by, inter alia: the 2006 O’Connor Inquiry (regarding the torture of Maher Arar);[xi] the 2008 Iacobucci Inquiry (regarding the torture of Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati, and Muayyed Nureddin);[xii] the 2016 BC Supreme Court decision in R v Nuttall (detailing the entrapment of two Muslim individuals struggling with mental illness);[xiii] the 2020 report of the National Security Transparency Advisory Group;[xiv] the consistent findings of United Nations human rights bodies (including their condemnation of Canada’s complicity in torture and the use of security certificates);[xv] and multiple lawsuits against CSIS alleging severe racial discrimination and harassment against Muslim and racialized employees.[xvi] In 2011, the Canadian Human Rights Commission called on national security agencies to collect and analyze race-disaggregated data about their practices[xvii] – a basic transparency measure that remains unimplemented.

And so, instead of expanding anti-terrorism in the name of anti-racism, we urge you to address the pressing concerns raised repeatedly by civil liberties and anti-racism organizations[xviii] about the anti-terrorism apparatus itself.

Sincerely,

Azeezah Kanji
Legal academic and journalist

Tim McSorley
National Coordinator
International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group

Signatories (for individual signatories, institutional affiliations are listed for identification purposes only):

  1. Idle No More Ontario
  2. Amnesty International Canada (English Section)
  3. Canadian Civil Liberties Association
  4. BC Civil Liberties Association
  5. Sherene H. Razack, Distinguished Professor, UCLA
  6. Rinaldo Walcott, professor and writer
  7. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer, and artist
  8. Mohammad Fadel, Professor of Law, University of Toronto Faculty of Law
  9. Sunera Thobani, Professor, Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia
  10. David Palumbo-Liu, Louise Hewlett Nixon Professor, Stanford University
  11. Kiké Roach, Unifor Chair in Social Justice & Democracy at Ryerson
  12. Niigaan Sinclair, Associate Professor, University of Manitoba
  13. Desmond Cole, journalist, author, activist
  14. Russ Diabo, Indigenous Truth Before Reconciliation Network
  15. Alex Neve, OC; Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa
  16. Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi, Chair of the Canadian Centre For Deen Studies
  17. El Jones, Department of Social Justice and Community Studies, Saint Mary’s University
  18. Imam Yusuf Badat, Islamic Foundation of Toronto
  19. Peggy Mason, President of the Rideau Institute and a former Canadian Disarmament Ambassador to the UN
  20. Imam Dr. Shabir Ally
  21. Canadian Union of Postal Workers
  22. Hanna Kawas, Chair, Canada Palestine Association
  23. South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO)
  24. Yavar Hameed, Human rights lawyer
  25. Dr Arun Kundnani, writer
  26. James L. Turk, Director, Centre for Free Expression, Ryerson University
  27. Paul Champ, lawyer
  28. Roger Waters, musician
  29. Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa
  30. Arab Canadian Lawyers Association
  31. Canadian Arab Institute
  32. Imam Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, Jaffari Community Center
  33. Canadian Anti-racism Education and Research Society
  34. Inter Pares
  35. Dr Shahina Siddiqui, Executive Director, Islamic Social Services Association
  36. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)
  37. Canadians for Peace and Justice in Kashmir (CPJK)
  38. Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)
  39. Cooperation Canada
  40. Mathabah Institute
  41. MiningWatch Canada
  42. Ivan Kalmar, Professor, University of Toronto
  43. Mehmet Tohti, Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
  44. Independent Jewish Voices Canada
  45. Rideau Institute
  46. Dr Jeremy Wildeman, uOttawa
  47. Dr. Baljit Nagra, Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
  48. Dimitri Lascaris (lawyer, journalist and activist)
  49. Randa Farah, Academic
  50. Chris Ramsaroop, Course Instructor Caribbean Studies, University of Toronto and Clinic Instructor Migrant Worker Clinic, Univeristy of Windsor Faculty of Law
  51. Dr. Alex Khasnabish, Associate Professor, Mount Saint Vincent University
  52. Khaled Mouammar: Former Member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
  53. Richard Fung, Professor Emeritus, OCAD University
  54. sylvat aziz , academic
  55. Jackman & Associates, lawyers
  56. Tim McCaskell, writer
  57. I. Abdillahi, professor and writer
  58. Roch Tassé, policy analyst
  59. Harry Smaller (Ph.D), York University
  60. Idrisa Pandit, anti-racism educator
  61. Faisal Bhabha, Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
  62. David Antonacci, writer
  63. Robert Fantina, author and journalist
  64. Jeffrey Monaghan, Associate Professor, Criminology, Carleton University
  65. Najia Mahmud, Lawyer
  66. Omer Aijazi, Academic
  67. John Greyson, Associate Professor, York
  68. Justice for All Canada
  69. Yousuf Syed, Co-Founder of Canadians Against Oppression And Persecution (CAOP)
  70. Nikolas Barry-Shaw, writer and researcher
  71. Yasmin Jiwani, Professor
  72. Israt Ahmed, community organizer, advocate, and social justice advocate
  73. Nahla Abdo, Professor, Carleton University
  74. Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo CM
  75. Maria Christina Conlon, artist
  76. David Baker, BakerLaw
  77. Martin Lukacs, journalist
  78. Jehad Aliweiwi, Executive Director, Laidlaw Foundation
  79. Nadia Abu-Zahra, Associate Professor, University of Ottawa
  80. Ria Heynen – justice activist
  81. Molly Kane, human rights activist
  82. Robert Fox, civil society activist
  83. Syed Hussan, anti-racist organizer
  84. Bianca Mugyenyi, Director, Canadian Foreign Policy Institute
  85. Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste
  86. Karen Rodman (Rev), M.Div. M.Sc. (Extension Education)
  87. Jen Moore, Associate Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies
  88. Oumer Kinnarath- Fascist Free Treaty 1
  89. Hengameh Saberi, Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School
  90. World BEYOND War
  91. Hassan Law, law firm
  92. Cheryl Gaster, LL.B., C. Med
  93. Karl Gardner, PhD Candidate, York University
  94. Heidi Matthews, Assistant Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School & Co-Director, Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime & Security
  95. Faith In The City, a coalition of multi faith leaders fighting for social justice
  96. John Liss, lawyer
  97. Natalie Kouri-Towe, Assistant Professor, Concordia University
  98. Mark Ayyash, Associate Professor of Sociology, Mount Royal University
  99. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
  100. Dalya Al Masri, Journalist & Human Rights advocate
  101. Helmut-Harry Loewen: Fascist Free Treaty One (Winnipeg), University of Winnipeg (Ret.), and Associate, Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University
  102. Canadian Arab Anti Discrimination Committee
  103. Rev. Shawn Newton, Unitarian clergy
  104. Calgary Anti-Racist Action
  105. Robie Liscomb, poet
  106. Diana Ralph, Ph.D.
  107. Rev. Dr. Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd, United Church minister
  108. Martha Ruben MD, PhD
  109. Ronald Stockton, Labour & Human Rights Lawyer
  110. Harjeet Badwall, Associate Professor, York University
  111. Matthew Behrens, Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada
  112. Nader Hashemi, University of Denver
  113. Regini David , Project Director, West Scarborough Community Legal Services
  114. Ann Rogers, Dept of Political Studies, Vancouver Island University
  115. Luk vervaet, former teacher in prisons
  116. James Beirne, PhD student, York University
  117. Natasha Bakht, Professor, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law
  118. Dr. Sujith Xavier, Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Windsor
  119. Dr. Ghada Ageel, University of Alberta
  120. Dania Majid, social justice lawyer
  121. Katherine R. Matchett, University of Windsor
  122. Sam Tecle, Assistant Professor, New College, UofT, SBL, JFAAP
  123. Margaret Rao former President Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
  124. Grahame Russell, lawyer; adjunct professor, University of Northern British Columbia; Director, Rights Action
  125. Daniel C. Gallant (MSW, RSW, JD) Barrister & Solicitor
  126. Audrey R. Dwyer, School Settlement Worker, refugee & immigrant rights advocate, social & racial justice advocate, JFAAP
  127. Brian K Murphy, author, educator & policy analyst
  128. b.h. Yael, Professor/Artist, OCAD University
  129. thohahènte
  130. Karen Peters, Community Development Worker
  131. Amber-Sky Morin, Indigenous Family Advocate
  132. William Woolrich, Professor, Community Worker Program, GBC
  133. Rashmi Luther, School of Social Work, Carleton University (retired)
  134. Reem Bahdi, Professor, University of Windsor Faculty of Law
  135. Ratiba Hadj-Moussa, York University
  136. Bob Thomson, civil society activist
  137. Rev. Sharon Moon United Church clergy
  138. Selwyn Burrows, member Order of Manitoba, Coordinator, Point. Powerline
  139. Sylvia Nowak, PhD Student (Queen’s University)
  140. Aaron Brown, higher education professional
  141. Rowa Mohamed, community organizer
  142. krishna e bera, human rights and environmental justice activist
  143. Nima Hussein, Herongate Tenant Coalition
  144. Garrett Halas, University Instructor
  145. Canadian Voices for Palestinian Rights (CVPR)
  146. Vasanthi Venkatesh, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor
  147. Mike Hoolboom, artist
  148. Elizabeth Mudenyo, community organizer and writer
  149. Alisa Gayle-Deutsch, Musician
  150. Dr Jon Burnett, academic
  151. Moilene Samuels, CSW
  152. David Barsamian, journalist, author, activist
  153. Alan Dutton, Director, Canadian Anti-racism Research and Education Society
  154. Jamie Kneen, researcher and activist
  155. Chandni Desai, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
  156. Global Peace Alliance BC society
  157. Jean Symes, activist and policy analyst
  158. Deborah G. Headley, RSW Clinical Social Worker, Educator, Consultant, Activist
  159. Sara Carpenter, Associate Professor, University of Alberta
  160. Karin Baqi, Lawyer
  161. Sarah Beamish, lawyer
  162. National Security Oversight Institute
  163. Katie Cameron, writer, activist, library worker
  164. Frederika Rotter, Lawyer
  165. Jail Accountability and Information Line
  166. Criminalization and Punishment Education Project
  167. Souheil Benslimane, abolitionist organizer
  168. Esperanza Moreno. Consultant
  169. Yves Engler, journalist and author
  170. Stefan Christoff, Artist and community organizer
  171. Dr Sanober Umar, Assistant Professor, York University
  172. Lia Tarachansky, Israeli filmmaker
  173. Janet Conway, Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies, Mount Saint Vincent University

==========

[i] Alex Boutilier, “Researchers to probe Canada’s evolving far-right movements,” 6 March 2019, Toronto Starhttps://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2019/03/06/researchers-to-probe-canadas-evolving-far-right-movements.html.

[ii] Craig Forcese and Kent Roach, “Yesterday’s law: Terrorist group listing in Canada” (2018) Terrorism and Political Violencehttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09546553.2018.1432211?journalCode=ftpv20; Jim Bronskill, “Terror list a ‘problematic’ way to fight white supremacists, civil society groups say,” 30 January 2021, https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/terror-list-a-problematic-way-to-fight-white-supremacists-civil-society-groups-say-1.5288941.

[iii] Kent Roach, “Counterterrorism and the challenges of terrorism from the far right” (2020) Common Law World Reviewhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1473779520975121

[iv] See for example, Fahad Ahmad, “Securitization and the Muslim community in Canada,” 17 July 2019, Broadbent Institute, https://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/atlast_atweet/securitization_and_the_muslim_community_in_canada; Tabasum Akseer, “Understanding the Impact of Surveillance and Security Measures on Muslim Men in Canada” (2018), Centre for International and Defence Policy, Queen’s University, https://www.queensu.ca/cidp/sites/webpublish.queensu.ca.cidpwww/files/files/publications/Martellos/Martello42EN.pdf; Azeezah Kanji, “Calling Islamophobic violence ‘terrorism’ won’t make Muslims safe,” 29 June 2017, Toronto Starhttps://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2017/06/29/calling-islamophobic-violence-terrorism-wont-make-muslims-safe.html; Baljit Nagra and Jeffrey Monaghan, “Security Governance and Racialization in the ‘War on Terror,’” in Contemporary Criminological Issues: Moving Beyond Insecurity and exclusion (2020), https://ruor.uottawa.ca/bitstream/10393/40451/1/9780776628714_WEB.pdf.

[v] 56 out of 73 currently listed entities are identified as Islamist or Muslim-linked. Public Safety Canada, “Currently listed entities, “ https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-en.aspx#58.

[vi] Since 2001, White supremacist and right-wing actors have been responsible for at least 22 fatalities, and individuals identified as Islamist for 2; see Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society, “Canadian Incident Database,” http://extremism.ca/results.aspx?Pivot=PriP; Jacob Serebrin, “Ceremonies marking fourth anniversary of Quebec City mosque shooting begin with call for gun control,” 29 January 2021m Global Newshttps://globalnews.ca/news/7607421/quebec-mosque-shooting-anniversary-2021/l ; Leyland Cecco, “Toronto van attack suspect says he was ‘radicalized’ online by ‘incels,’” 27 September 2019, The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/27/alek-minassian-toronto-van-attack-interview-incels.

[vii] Daniel Leblanc and Colin Freeze, “Charity that worked with Palestinians added to Canada’s terror list,” 29 April 2014, The Globe and Mailhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/charity-that-worked-in-palestine-added-to-canadas-terrorist-list/article18320497/; Darryl Greer, “Canadian charity fights to remove ‘terrorist’ label,” 9 March 2017, https://www.courthousenews.com/canadian-charity-fights-remove-terrorist-label/.

[viii] On Palestine, see Amnesty International, “Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories,” https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories/; on Kashmir, see Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Report on the situation of human rights in Kashmir,” 14 June 2018, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IN/DevelopmentsInKashmirJune2016ToApril2018.pdf.

[ix] Kent Roach, “Be careful what you wish for? Terrorism prosecutions in post-9/11 Canada,” (2014) Queen’s Law Journalhttps://canlii.ca/t/sx3w, especially sections III A and B “Legislative overbreadth in defining terrorism and terrorist offences” and “Freedom fighter issues.” See also Lisa Stampnitsky, Disciplining Terror: How Experts Invented ‘Terrorism.’ Cambridge University Press, 2013; Sharryn J Aiken, “Manufacturing ‘terrorists’: Refugees, national security, and Canadian law,” Refuge (2001), https://refuge.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/refuge/article/view/21205; Jeffrey Monaghan and Kevin Walby, “Making up ‘terror identities’: Security intelligence, Canada’s Integrated Threat Assessment Centre and social movement suppression,” (2012) Policing and Societyhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10439463.2011.605131.

[x] See, for example: Proulx, Craig. “Colonizing Surveillance: Canada Constructs an Indigenous Terror Threat.” Anthropologica, vol. 56, no. 1, 2014, pp. 83–100. JSTORwww.jstor.org/stable/24469643; Abigail Curlew, “The New Threat Threshold,” 1 March 2017, Briarpatch Magazinehttps://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/the-new-threat-threshold; Ainslie Cruickshank, “Documents to be released years after allegations that Canada’s spy agency monitored pipeline protesters,” 5 July 2019, Toronto Starhttps://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2019/07/05/documents-to-be-released-years-after-allegations-that-canadas-spy-agency-monitored-pipeline-protesters.html; Jorge Barrera, “RCMP reactivated list of flagged activists days before Trans Mountain decision, documents show,” 14 January 2020, CBC Newshttps://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/rcmp-project-sitka-list-1.5422152; Jorge Barrera, “Aboriginal Affairs shared wide range of information with spy agency to bolster Idle No More surveillance: documents,” 18 March 2015, APTNhttps://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/aboriginal-affairs-shared-wide-range-information-spy-agency-bolster-idle-surveillance-documents/.

[xi] Dennis O’Connor, Commissioner, “Report of the events relating to Maher Arar” (2006), http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/295791/publication.html.

[xii] Frank Iacobucci, Commissioner, “Internal inquiry into the actions of Canadian officials in relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin” (2008), http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/331864/publication.html.

[xiii] R v Nutall, 2016 BCSC 1404, https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcsc/doc/2016/2016bcsc1404/2016bcsc1404.html?autocompleteStr=R%20v%20Nuttall%2C%202016%20BCSC%201404&autocompletePos=1.

[xiv] National Security Transparency Advisory Group, “Initial report: what we heard in our first year” (2020), https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2020-nstag-irwwh/index-en.aspx.

[xv] For example: UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, “Concluding Observations on the Combined Twenty-First to Twenty-Third Periodic Reports of Canada,” 13 September 2017, https://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=6QkG1d%2fPPRiCAqhKb7yhstz6Kqb8xvweVxiwIinyzEnrSQTaImuyoLPtH1p%2b%2fBoA9aSpHnHOaSTR3D%2bGaG21xFo2B95JnqHNgalSwJoOiSGBGOUk6xxJIGD9T1UIJq2pb%2bLbXWwAtxJ%2fiP6NJCzvYQ%3d%3d, para 15; UN Committee Against Torture, “Concluding Observations on the Seventh Periodic Report of Canada,” 21 December 2018, https://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=6QkG1d%2fPPRiCAqhKb7yhsglSZMQd1BoEakgym8DLljp%2ftVZwAcP32UhceoEv6s9EFDnHa%2ffIXxFR9KNVY4qkr3X7%2faP5eVqCmw6nDLJyD3dA5iGzIWJ0XfsLEbi0yIvz, paras 38, 42, 44, and 46.

[xvi] Jonathan Gatehouse, “A ‘second-class’ spy: Muslim CSIS agent alleges discrimination, abuse,” 21 January 2020, CBC Newshttps://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/csis-muslim-discrimination-lawsuit-1.5433654; Michelle Shephard, “CSIS settles multimillion-dollar lawsuit with employees who claimed workplace Islamophobia, racism and homophobia,” 14 December 2017, Toronto Star, https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/12/14/csis-settles-multimillion-dollar-lawsuit-with-employees-who-claimed-workplace-islamophobia-racism-and-homophobia.html.

[xvii] Canadian Human Rights Commission, “Human Rights Accountability in National Security Practices: A Special Report to Parliament,” (November 2011), http://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/sites/default/files/chrc-specialreport-28112011.pdf.

[xviii] See, Canadian Bar Association, “Submission on the Three Year Review of the Anti-terrorism Act,” May 2005, https://www.cba.org/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=a3a97aa7-14c2-4cd5-ac20-66b50b59c6cc; Canadian Civil Liberties Association, “Submission to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security regarding Bill C-51, Anti-Terror Act, 2015,” March 2015, https://ccla.org/cclanewsite/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2015-03-17-C51-Submissions-Final-w-names.pdf; International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, “In The Shadow Of The Law,” 14 May 2003, https://iclmg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/R-In-the-Shadow-of-the-Law.pdf; International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, “Brief on Bill C-59, the National Security Act, 2017,” https://iclmg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/C-59-brief-May-2019-update.pdf; B.C. Civil Liberties Association, “Submission to the Consultation on Canada’s National Security Framework,” 13 December 2016, https://bccla.org/our_work/bcclas-written-submission-consultation-canadas-national-security-framework/.