10 March, Milan: Freedom for Mohammed al-Qeeq and all Palestinian Prisoners

4 March 2017

Friday, 10 March
6:00 pm
Corso Sempione
20154 Milan, Italy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/263868387398318/

On the occasion of the 13th annual Israeli Apartheid Week, commemorated around the world between March-April 2017, in support of the growing campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, Fronte Palestina Milano is organizing this demonstration in support of the Palestinian prisoners.

Mohammed al-Qeeq is one of approximately 600 Palestinians imprisoned without charge or trial under administrative detention. Administrative detention orders are indefinitely renewable without charge or trial and Palestinians can be held indefinitely under such orders.

Two Palestinian prisoners continue hunger strikes for freedom

4 March 2017

Two Palestinian prisoners are continuing their hunger strikes to demand their freedom from administrative detention, Israeli imprisonment without charge or trial. Mohammed al-Qeeq, 34, a Palestinian journalist, is on his 27th day of hunger strike, while Jamal Abu Leil, 50, a Fateh leader from Qalandiya refugee camp, has been on hunger strike against his own imprisonment without charge or trial for 17 days.

A large rally in solidarity with Abu Leil and his fellow Palestinian prisoners started today from Qalandiya camp and marching to Ramallah. marchers returned to the camp and Qalandiya checkpoint, where Israeli occupation forces fired tear gas, stun grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets at the marching youth.

Abu Leil’s wife confirmed on Saturday, 4 March that her husband is dedicated to continue his battle until he wins his freedom from administrative detention. Abu Leil is held in isolation in Ashkelon prison, while al-Qeeq is held in the Ramle prison clinic.

Journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq won his release from administrative detention in 2016 with a 94-day hunger strike that drew wide attention internationally and across Palestine. His release in May 2016 was widely celebrated; he was seized again by Israeli occupation forces at a checkpoint on 15 January 2017 after leaving a protest in Bethlehem for the return of the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. He launched his hunger strike on 6 February after he was ordered to administrative detention following 22 days of interrogation.

Abu Leil is a former member of the Fateh Revolutionary Council and a longtime leader of the political party in the refugee camp. He has been imprisoned since February 2016 and held under administrative detention without charge or trial. He launched his hunger strike on 16 February after his imprisonment was renewed for the third time for another six-month order. He is held in solitary confinement with nothing but the clothes on his back, and all appliances, extra clothes and covers have been removed from his isolated space.

Archbishop Atallah Hanna spoke in support of al-Qeeq and Abu Leil on Wednesday, 1 March at a sit-in in support of the hunger strikers in the courtyard of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City, saying that “We stand in solidarity with our brothers, the prisoners on hunger strike, and reaffirm our support and our stand alongside the prisoners who are defending freedom and the just cause of their people,” urging broader Arab action for Palestine.

Amnesty International issued a statement urging the release of al-Qeeq, as his health continued to deteriorate. Al-Qeeq’s situation is particularly precarious considering his weakness following last year’s 94-day hunger strike. His detention order was confirmed on 28 February. “Today’s decision to approve the administrative detention of Muhammed al-Qiq is an affront to justice. Israel’s administrative detention which is predominately used to detain Palestinians without charge or trial is arbitrary and abusive. The Israeli authorities must end this practice, which itself can amount to cruel and inhuman treatment, once and for all,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

Al-Qeeq’s lawyer Khaled Zabarqa said on Friday, 3 March that he lost consciousness on Wednesday for about one hour on Wednesday and suffers from a constant and extreme headache and dizziness. Al-Qeeq refuses all medical tests by the Israeli occupation, and Zabarqa also reported that prison officials are demanding he receive a series of medical tests before being transferred to a civilian hospital.

Take Action!

1. Sign and share the public petition to international officials to demand they take a stand on administrative detention and Mohammed al-Qeeq’s imprisonment. Sign and share at: https://www.change.org/p/council-of-the-european-union-take-action-to-free-hunger-striking-palestinian-journalist-mohammed-al-qeeq

2. Organize a protest or a forum for Mohammed al-Qeeq and Palestinian prisoners. Israeli Apartheid Week is approaching and the Israeli injustice system is an excellent example to highlight in IAW activities, especially as your support can help to bring the international attention needed to help Mohammed al-Qeeq in his struggle for freedom. You can invite a speaker, hold a discussion, hold a protest, or just distribute leaflets and information (see below for sample leaflets and posters). To request resources or let us know about your event so we can post it publicly, email samidoun@samidoun.net or contact us on Facebook.

3. Hold a Symbolic Hunger Strike. This is an especially effective tactic on a campus for Israeli Apartheid Week, but can be used anywhere. A symbolic one-day hunger strike in which participants publicly express their solidarity with al-Qeeq and fellow Palestinian prisoners can help to raise local attention. Email samidoun@samidoun.net to let us know about your event!

Flyers and Literature

	Mohammed al-Qeeq Leaflet – Download PDF
	Mohammed al-Qeeq sign/poster (A3/11×17) – Download PDF
	Apartheid in Israeli Prisons – Half-Page Leaflet – Download PDF

Palestinians protest as 99 administrative detention orders issued in February by Israeli military courts

4 March 2017

The Israeli occupation military courts issued a total of 28 more administrative detention orders between 16 and 28 February, reported Palestinian lawyer Mahmoud Halabi of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society. There have been a total of at least 99 administrative detention orders issued in the month of February.

These orders included the renewal of the administrative detention of Sabah Faraoun and a new administrative detention order against journalist Hammam Hantash, 25, for six months; Hantash has been imprisoned since 15 February.

They are among approximately 600 Palestinians imprisoned without charge or trial under administrative detention, of 7,000 total Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. Administrative detention orders are indefinitely renewable, and they are issued in periods of one to six months. Under administrative detention, Palestinians can be imprisoned for years without ever having a charge or trial.

There are currently two Palestinian prisoners engaged in an open hunger strike demanding their freedom from administrative detention: Mohammed al-Qeeq, on strike for 27 days, and Jamal Abu Leil, on strike for 17 days.

On Saturday, 4 March, over 100 people protested in Kabul in Palestine ’48 in solidarity with Mohammed Ibrahim, 20, imprisoned since 11 May 2016 under administrative detention without charge or trial. They demanded freedom for Ibrahim and an end to the policy of administrative detention that targets all Palestinians.

The following orders were issued against Palestinian detainees:

1. Ashraf Ghassan Jibril, from Qalqilya, 4 months, extension
2. Majdi Abdel-Qader Oweidat, from Jericho, 5 months extension
3. Bakr Mohammed Kharyoush, from Tulkarem, 4 months, extension
4. Ahmed Mahmoud Kharyoush, from Nablus, 4 months, extension
5. Bahaa Taha Najjar, from al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
6. Hassan Hassanein Shawkat, from Bethlehem, 4 months extension
7. Samer Mahmoud Hanani, from Nablus, 4 months extension
8. Imad Mahmoud Abadi, from Jenin, 3 months extension
9. Yacoub Imad Abu Turki, from al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
10. Saadi Mohammed Khaddeirat, from al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
11. Nour Shaker al-Atrash, from al-Khalil, 6 months, extension
12. Saif Bassam Abu Eisha, from al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
13. Jadallah Abdel-Halim Da’na, from al-Khalil, 6 months, extension
14. Musab Taha Manasrah, from al-Khalil, 6 months, extension
15. Raafat Khalil Abu Rabie, from Ramallah, 4 months, extension
16. Ramzi Tawfiq Qarini, from Jenin, 6 months, extension
17. Ashraf Zeidan al-Qurei, from Jenin, 4 months, extension
18. Sabah Mohammed Faraoun, from Jerusalem, 4 months, extension
19. Imad Hamdi Abu Khalaf, from al-Khalil, 6 months, new order
20. Hammam Mohammed Hantash, from al-Khalil, 6 months, new order
21. Shahid Ghassan Ziadah, from Nablus, 4 months, extension
22. Mansour Mustafa Bani Odeh, from Tubas, 4 months, extension
23. Mohammed Ghassan Najdi, 6 months, extension
24. Raif Ahmad Jaradat, from Jenin, 4 months, extension
25. Sabri Ismail Jaber, from Bethlehem, 6 months, extension
26. Tareq Anwar Dais, from al-Khalil, 4 months, extension
27. Salem Badi Dirdasawi, from el-Bireh, 6 months, extension
28. Kamal Mazen Boustah, from Jenin, 4 months, extension

9 March, Brussels: Palestine: An Imprisoned People?

1 March 2017

Thursday, 9 March
6:30 pm
Université Libre De Bruxelles / Campus Solbosch
Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt 50
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1789224864731194/

During Israeli Apartheid Week 2017, the Comité BDS-ULB is organizing an event, “Palestine: An imprisoned people?” We will hear from Charlotte Kates, international coordinator of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and Salah Hamouri, French-Palestinian former detainee and current advocate for prisoners’ rights.

Location: Campus Solbosch H1301

8 March, Maastricht: Palestinian political prisoners, EU complicity and attacks on BDS

1 March 2017

Wednesday, 8 March
7:00 pm
Maastricht University Faculty of Law
Bouillonstraat 1-3
Maastricht, Netherlands
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1056011254502755/

There is an estimated 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners, of which over 300 are children, held in Israeli jails – sentenced in military courts with 99.7% conviction rates, rounded up in night-time raids, often held under administrative detention (without charge or trial) on the basis of “secret evidence”. Since 1967, around 750,000 Palestinians have been in custody. Palestinian political prisoners represent all sectors of Palestinian society – men, women, children, elders, students, teachers, farmers, workers, artists, organizers and strugglers for freedom. Indeed, dozens of Palestinian student activists and student union representatives are currently imprisoned in Israeli jails. There are 750 Palestinians held without charge or trial under administrative detention.The massive use of imprisonment in Palestine is as a key weapon of settler colonialism as it attempts to suppress and eliminate Palestinian resistance.

Charlotte Kates, a coordinator of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, will speak about Palestinian prisoners and the treatment they face in Israeli jails (including torture), EU complicity in Israeli occupation, the case for a HP boycott and attacks on the BDS movement.

Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is a network of international organizers working to build solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in their struggle for freedom. Samidoun developed out of the September-October 2011 hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, seeing a need for a dedicated network to support Palestinian prisoners. Samidoun works to raise awareness and provide resources about Palestinian political prisoners, their conditions, their demands, and their work for freedom for themselves, their fellow prisoners, and their homeland. We also work to organize campaigns to make political change and advocate for Palestinian prisoners’ rights and freedoms.

Samidoun seeks to achieve justice for Palestinian prisoners through events, activities, resources, delegations, research and information-sharing, as well as building bridges with the prisoners’ movement in Palestine. Samidoun seeks to amplify the voices of Palestinian prisoners, former prisoners, prisoners’ families, and Palestinian advocates for justice and human rights by translating, sharing and distributing news, interviews and materials from Palestine.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Boycott HP at Maastricht University: https://bdsmovement.net/boycott-hp

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.

Israel is occupying and colonising Palestinian land, discriminating against Palestinian citizens of Israel and denying Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the BDS call urges action to pressure Israel to comply with international law.

BDS is now a vibrant global movement made up of unions, academic associations, churches and grassroots movements across the world. Eleven years since its launch, BDS is having a major impact and is effectively challenging international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.

BDS seeks to prompt the following compliance with international law:

* An end to the 1967 occupation of all Arab lands, particularly the occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza

* The right of Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality

* Respect, protection and promotion of the right of Palestinian refugees to return as stipulated in UN Resolution 194
______________________________________________________

All welcome to join us for this event to mark Israeli Apartheid Week in Maastricht!
Happy International Women’s Day!
Come and learn more about SJP Maastricht’s campaign against HP at Maastricht University!

8 March, Brussels: Palestinian Evening: Prisoners of Occupation

1 March 2017

Wednesday, 8 March
6:00 pm
Salle Carrefour
Campus UCL Alma
Brussels, Belgium
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/110442912816753/

As part of Israeli Apartheid Week 2017, Rise Up is organizing an evening with a quality film, delicious Palestinian cuisine, unforgettable encounters and a warm atmosphere. First, a buffet of falafel, hummus and Palestinian salad will be available throughout the evening from 6:00.

At 6:15 pm, we will screen the film “3000 Nights” by Mai Masri, which describes the Israeli prison experience and the suffering of women in particular, through the story of Layal. The director writes an ode to the resilience of Palestinian women without which the resistance of the Palestinian people would be impossible.

Then, at 8:00 pm, the event will include a videoconference with Lina Khattab, a Palestinian student imprisoned for 6 months by Israel.

Event price: 2.5 EUR for the whole evening, food included

New Video: A Call for Justice for Mohammed al-Qeeq: Fayha Shalash Urges Action

1 March 2017

A new video by Fayha Shalash, Palestinian journalist and the wife of imprisoned hunger striker and journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq, urges international action for his release. We urge all supporters of Palestinian freedom, liberation and justice to share this video widely, as al-Qeeq enters his 24th day of hunger strike demanding release from imprisonment without charge or trial under Israeli administrative detention.

Mohammed al-Qeeq is one of 23 Palestinian journalists imprisoned by the Israeli state. His life and health are on the line not only for his freedom, but for Palestinian freedom overall and an end to administrative detention without charge or trial. It is critical to raise our voices internationally and demand freedom for Mohammed al-Qeeq, an end to administrative detention and the freedom of all Palestinian prisoners.

Take Action!

1. Sign and share the public petition to international officials to demand they take a stand on administrative detention and Mohammed al-Qeeq’s imprisonment. Sign and share at: https://www.change.org/p/council-of-the-european-union-take-action-to-free-hunger-striking-palestinian-journalist-mohammed-al-qeeq

2. Organize a protest or a forum for Mohammed al-Qeeq and Palestinian prisoners. Israeli Apartheid Week is approaching and the Israeli injustice system is an excellent example to highlight in IAW activities, especially as your support can help to bring the international attention needed to help Mohammed al-Qeeq in his struggle for freedom. You can invite a speaker, hold a discussion, hold a protest, or just distribute leaflets and information (see below for sample leaflets and posters). To request resources or let us know about your event so we can post it publicly, email samidoun@samidoun.net or contact us on Facebook.

3. Hold a Symbolic Hunger Strike. This is an especially effective tactic on a campus for Israeli Apartheid Week, but can be used anywhere. A symbolic one-day hunger strike in which participants publicly express their solidarity with al-Qeeq and fellow Palestinian prisoners can help to raise local attention. Email samidoun@samidoun.net to let us know about your event!

Flyers and Literature

	Mohammed al-Qeeq Leaflet – Download PDF
	Mohammed al-Qeeq sign/poster (A3/11×17) – Download PDF
	Apartheid in Israeli Prisons – Half-Page Leaflet – Download PDF

8 March, Louvain-la-Neuve: Film and Discussion – Palestine, an imprisoned people

1 March 2017

Wednesday, 8 March
7:00 pm
Auditoire Agora 14
Grand Place
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/272027113227135/

As part of the international “Israeli Apartheid Week” organized in over 200 cities and universities around the world, the Association Belgo-Palestinienne Louvain-la-Neuve invites you to join a film screening and discussion on the topic of prisons in Israel. The politics of imprisonment in Israel is also an important issue due to the complicity of Belgium via the “LAW-TRAIN” program.

Speakers include:
Alexis Deswaef, President of the League of Human Rights
Salah Hamouri, French-Palestinian citizen and former prisoner
Alice Mertens, Moderator, ABP Louvain-la-Neuve

7:00 pm – Screening of documentary “Palestine: la case prison” by director Franck Salome, on the conditions of detention in Israeli prison.

8:00 pm – Presentations by the speakers

IAW Schedule in Louvain-la-Neuve: https://www.facebook.com/events/191111971372880/

7 March, Brussels: Screening of “3000 Nights”

28 February 2017

Tuesday, 7 March
6:30 pm
Université Libre De Bruxelles / Campus Solbosch
Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt 50
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1283198571726521/

Projection du film “3000 Nuits” en VOSTFR au UD2.208
entrée libre

“Années 80, à la veille des évènements de Sabra et Chatila. La révolte gronde dans une prison israélienne, où sont détenues des prisonnières politiques palestiniennes. Layal, une jeune institutrice de Naplouse, vient d’arriver, condamnée à 8 ans de prison pour un attentat dans lequel elle n’est pas impliquée. Elle partage la cellule d’israéliennes condamnées pour droits communs et s’habitue progressivement à l’univers carcéral. mais Layal découvre qu’elle est enceinte. Envers et contre tous, elle décide de garder l’enfant.”

7 March, Antwerp: Palestine – An Imprisoned People?

28 February 2017

Tuesday, 7 March
7:30 pm
Faculteit Letteren en Wijsbegeerte – UAntwerpen
Rodestraat 14
2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/397541180638147/

A discussion with Salah Hamouri and Charlotte Kates
Salah Hamouri (born in 1985) is a Palestinian former prisoner who was imprisoned for seven years behind the walls of an Israeli prison.
Now he is a lawyer for Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association to defend human rights that are violated daily by Israel.

Charlotte Kates is the international coordinator of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.

Part of Israeli Apartheid Week at Antwerp – organized by Comac Antwerpen

Take Action!

Flyers and Literature

Take Action!

Flyers and Literature

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