Sunday, 15 January
Gathering Point, 9:30 AM
U-Bahnhof Frankfurter Tor
Frankfurter Tor 3
10243 Berlin
(Across from the Humana)
Gather with the Democratic Palestine Committees of Berlin to join a Palestinian contingent to the Liebknecht-Luxemburg Demo, the annual march commemorating the assassination of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in 1919. Contingent protesters will march for Ahmad Sa’adat and imprisoned Palestinians.
Saturday, January 14
10 am
Highway 278 at HH Library
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Organized by Hilton Head for Peace
Join a vigil in solidarity with Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian prisoners.
Contact: 843-681-4010
Saturday, January 14
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1279998228726828/
As part of an international day of action called by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network for the release of Ahmed Sa’adat and all prisoners of the occupation, we are calling on all anti-racists and BDS supporters to join protests in Manchester to highlight the reactionary role Britain is playing in the Middle East. As well as collaborating with the Israeli occupation and its prison system the British government continues to support war on Syria, arming Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other fascist forces. Parliament has also voted to support the Saudi-US war on Yemen.
Barclays bank is a symbol of the warmongering of the British ruling class. It invests in arms companies that are complicit in the war crimes of the Israeli, Saudi and Turkish regimes. Its funding for Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems show that years after providing loans to the apartheid regime in South Africa, Barclays is still supporting racism, war and occupation. It has to be a focus of BDS campaiging and of protest against imperialist attempts to redivide the Middle East.
Organized by Manchester Boycott Israel Group
Friday, 13 January
5:30 pm
Union Square Best Buy
52 E. 14th St, NYC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/362798944095466/
Help launch a broad popular, political and media campaign to free Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian prisoners called by the Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat between January 13-15.
On December 25, 2008, one day before the launch of the brutal attack on the Gaza Strip by Zionist occupation forces, Ahmad Sa’adat, the imprisoned General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and an elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Zionist military court.
Stand with Sa’adat to demand that Israel release him, five other imprisoned PLC members, and all 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners immediately, and that Hewlett Packard companies end their contracts with Zionist prisons and detention centers, occupation and security forces, and checkpoints and settlements now.
Help build a growing international campaign to boycott HP over the companies’ support for Zionist crimes.
Support the Palestinian people, the Palestinian prisoners, the Palestinian Resistance, and the liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.
Friday, 13 January
7:30 pm
Local Sacco Vanzetti
54 chaussee de Forest, Brussels 1060
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1334357123293510/
15 ans depuis l’arrestation d’Ahmad Saadat, Secrétaire Général du Front Populaire de Libération de la Palestine par l’Autorité Palestinienne et 8 ans depuis sa condamnation à 30 ans de prison.
Projection à préciser, discussion, débat avec un représentant de la campagne Free Ahmad Sa’adat.
Solidarity with Ahmad Sa’adat, PFLP’s general secretary,
and all Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Prisons
Friday January 13, 2017
5 pm
Solidaritetshuset, Griffenfeldsgade 41, Nørrebro (the shop)
Program:
We show a short video on Ahmad Sa’adat (5 minutes)
Introduction to the political life and imprisonment of Ahmad Sa’adat, and the situation of the 7000 Palestinian prisoners in Zionist jails
An activist tells about the visit she made together with an international brigade to Ahmad Sa’adat during his imprisonment in the Palestinian authority prison in Jericho on the Westbank
Break
We show the film “Leila Khaled, the hijacker” by Lina Makboul (60 minutes). Leila Khaled is a leading member of PFLP – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Questions and debate
Background:
Precisely !5 years ago, Ahmad Sa’adat was arrested by the Palestinian Authority (PA) under pressure from USA, UK and Israel. In 2006, Israeli military forces attacked the Jericho prison and forcibly kidnapped Ahmad Sa’adat and his comrades and transferred them to Israeli prisons. Ahmad Sa’adat is sentenced to 30 years prison for belonging to a ‘terrorist organization’.
In big parts of the world, action days are organized January 13 – 15 in solidarity with Ahmad Sa’adat and the 7000 Palestinian prisoners – on the initiative of among others SAMIDOUN, the Palestinian prisoners committee.
Free Ahmad Ss’adat and all the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails
– Free Palestine – Boycott Israel
Internationalt Forum/The Middle East Group
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Solidaritet med Ahmad Sa’adat
og alle palæstinensiske fanger i israelske fængsler
Fredag den 13. januar 2017 kl. 17 – 19
Solidaritetshuset, Griffenfeldsgade 41, Nørrebro (butikken)
Program:
Vi viser en lille film om Ahmad Sa’adat, PFLP’s fængslede generalsekretær (5 minutter)
Oplæg om Ahmad Sa’adats politiske liv, hans dramatiske fængsling og de palæstinensiske fangers situation i zionismens fængsler. En aktivist beretter om dengang hun sammen med en international brigade besøgte Ahmad Sa’adat i selvstyrefængslet i Jericho
Pause
Vi viser filmen ’ Leila Khaled, flykapreren’ af instruktøren Lina Makboul (1 time) . Leila Khaled er ledende medlem af PFLP (Folkefronten til Palæstinas Befrielse).
Der vil være tid til spørgsmål og debat.
Der serveres kaffe/the og kager
Baggrund:
Det er i disse dage præcist 15 år siden at Ahmad Sa’adat blev arresteret af den palæstinensiske selvstyremyndighed (PA) – efter pres fra Israel, USA og England. I 2006 blev Ahmad Sa’adat og hans kammerater kidnappet af israelske tropper under et voldeligt militært angreb og overført til israelske fængsler. Her afsoner Sa’adat en fængselsdom på 30 år – for sit tilhørsforhold til en ’terrororganisation’!
Over store dele af verden finder der arrangementer sted i dagene 13 – 15 januar i solidaritet med Ahmad Sa’adat og de 7000 andre palæstinensiske fanger. Initiativtager er bl.a. Samidoun, de palæstinensiske fangers komite.
Løslad Ahmad Sa’adat og alle palæstinensiske fanger i israelske fængsler!
– Frit Palæstina! – Boykot Israel!
Arrangør: Internationalt Forums Mellemøstgruppe
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Friday, 13 January
6:00 pm
SouthWest Organizing Project
211 10th St SW, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1917752155121856/
Note Date and Time subject to change.
As part of the international Days of Action to Free Ahmad Sa’adat, come learn about Ahmad Sa’adat, the imprisoned general secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
This workshop will focus on the Prisoners Struggle, give some context as to who the PFLP is and what their over all goals and analysis are, and be an opportunity to talk about different things folks can do to support Palestine.
Also there will be letter and card writing supplies for folks to send letters and cards to Political Prisoners in the united states.
From the Free Ahmad Sa’adat Campaign:
http://
On the eighth anniversary of the sentencing of Ahmad Sa’adat in Zionist military courts, the Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat urges a broad popular, political and media campaign to free Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian prisoners on January 13-15, 2017. These dates mark the 15th anniversary of Ahmad Sa’adat’s abduction by the Palestinian Authority at the behest of Israel, the United States and their allies.
Organized by Irish Americans for Socialism and Liberation
Muslim Legal Fund of America has been working hard to get the Holy Land Foundation clemency petition in front of President Obama, and it is their understanding that Obama is currently reviewing it. The clemency petition is asking Obama to commute, or reduce, their sentences to “time served” so they can be released from prison.
MLFA is asking you to call President Obama’s office and urge him to commute the HLF defendants’ excessive sentences.
Here is suggested language when calling:
I’m calling to ask President Obama to commute the sentences of the Holy Land Foundation defendants: Mufid Abdulqader, Shukri Baker, Ghassan Elashi, Mohammad El-Mezain, and Abdulrahman Odeh. All funds raised by HLF were used for purely humanitarian purposes — a fact prosecutors acknowledged. All money went to feed, clothe and educate children and families. The prosecution of these humanitarians was a grave injustice and their sentences of 15 to 65 years are excessive and cruel by any standard. They have already served eight years – twice as long as the maximum sentence for the same crime in Israel. These five humanitarians and their families have suffered greatly. It’s time to restore justice for these men and their loved ones.
The phone numbers MFLA has for President Obama’s office are:
Nael Barghouthi, the longest-held Palestinian prisoner, was denied release in a hearing at Ofer military court on Wednesday, 4 January. An Israeli military committee is currently deciding whether or not to reinstate his previous life sentence, on the basis of secret evidence.
Barghouthi, 59, has served a total of 36 years in Israeli prison. Arrested in 1978 by Israeli occupation forces for his participation in the Palestinian armed resistance, he was released in 2011 as part of the Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner exchange with over 1,000 fellow Palestinian prisoners. With dozens of fellow former prisoners, Barghouthi was re-arrested in June 2014 in an Israeli attempt to pressure Palestinian resistance forces.
Israeli military order 1651 declares – in violation of the exchange agreement – that an Israeli military committee can reinstate the prior sentence of any Palestinian released in an exchange agreement on the basis of secret evidence. If there are any allegations at all made available to the prisoner or their lawyer – and no evidence – they can be as simple as associating with members of a prohibited organization, including every major Palestinian political party.
Over 50 Palestinian prisoners have had their original sentences re-instated by this military committee, including former long-term hunger striker Samer Issawi. Barghouthi, however, was ordered to 30 months in prison, a sentence that expired on 17 December. In 2015, the Israeli military prosecution appealed the sentence, demanding his original life sentence be re-imposed. No decision has been made in the case by the committee, but Barghouthi remains imprisoned despite the expiration of his sentence. His lawyers appealed for his release, but on Wednesday, 4 January, it was denied, reportedly on the basis that Barghouthi may escape, when it is likely his former sentence will be restored, according to the military court.
Nael’s brother, Omar Barghouthi, also a long-term ex-prisoner, said that the prison administration and intelligence agencies do not act according to law, and “they will not allow my brother to live one moment outside the prison.” When Barghouthi was released, he married Iman Nafie, also a former prisoner. Nafie and the family lawyer, Merav Khoury, stated that they would appeal to the Supreme Court for Barghouthi’s release.
Addameer and Samidoun have urged international action to free Nael Barghouthi and end the persecution of former prisoners. Please take action to call for Barghouthi’s immediate release.
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association and Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network are joining in this urgent call for action to pressure Israel to release Nael Barghouthi, being held as a political hostage by the Israeli government.
TAKE ACTION:
Two Palestinian 13-year-old child prisoners, Shadi Farrah and Ahmad al-Zaatari, were sentenced to two more years imprisonment on Wednesday, 4 January. The two children – both Palestinian Jerusalemites – have been imprisoned for one year already, since 30 December 2015.
However, in this case, the one year they have already spent in detention will not be counted toward their sentence, which will reportedly be served in an Israeli juvenile detention facility. Thus, they will spend a total of three years in Israeli imprisonment, with the two-year sentence dating from 29 November 2016. The two were charged with attempted murder and possession of knives, even though they were walking in Jerusalem when they were stopped by Israeli occupation soldiers, who searched their bags and allegedly found a knife.
In general, Palestinian children under 14 are usually sentenced to six months maximum; at the age of 14, these children can be sentenced equally to adults. In recent months a number of Palestinian children have received extremely lengthy sentences, including Ahmad Manasrah, 14, sentenced to 12 years in prison, and Nurhan Awad, 16, sentenced to 13 years in Israeli prison. However, in this case, the boys’ families and lawyer reported that they were openly and heavily pressured to accept this plea agreeement or, as in the case of Manasrah, prosecutors would simply postpone the case until their 14th birthdays and pursue high sentences against the two.
In addition to Shadi and Ahmad, Jerusalemite child prisoner Marah Bakir, 17, was sentenced to 8.5 years in Israeli prison on 4 January, in addition to a 10,000 NIS fine (approximately $2600 USD) Imprisoned since 10 October 2015, Marah was shot 10 times by Israeli occupation forces and accused of possession of a knife and attempting to stab a soldier. She was strip searched and taken to Hadassah hospital and interrogated while severely injured and undressed in a hospital bed. Throughout her hospitalization, she was shackled hand and foot to her hospital bed. Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association reported that guards abused her, including telling her to die, while another guard took a selfie with her against her will. In court on Wednesday, she appeared in a wheelchair with her legs cuffed to the chair.
In addition, child prisoner Malak Salman, 17, another Jerusalemite, had her hearing continued until 7 February. She has gone through 21 hearings since her imprisonment on 9 February 2016.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Commission reported on Wednesday that 505 Palestinian children had been held in Ofer prison in 2016 after being arrested and interrogated in detention and interrogation centers. Among those, 10 children were ordered to administrative detention without charge or trial. There are currently around 300 Palestinian children in Israeli prisons.
