New York City activists protested outside the offices of security corporation G4S on Friday, 19 February, demanding that G4S get out of the business of profiting from the imprisonment of Palestinians, and calling for freedom for Mohammed al-Qeeq, the Palestinian journalist on his 87th day of hunger strike, demanding his release from Israeli administrative detention without charge or trial.
The latest weekly protest organized by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network targeted the security corporation, subject to an international boycott campaign. Palestinian prisoners have called for an international boycott of G4S, and over 200 Palestinian and international organizations have called on the United Nations to stop doing business with the corporation, which provides security systems, equipment and control rooms to Israeli prisons, detention centers, and checkpoints.
Protesters highlighted the case of Mohammed al-Qeeq, who launched his hunger strike in protest of his torture under interrogation in Israeli detention centers – to which G4S provides security equpment – and then of his imprisonment without charge or trial under administrative detention. After nearly three months of hunger strike, Al-Qeeq is in extremely critical condition and threatened with death at any time. Participants distributed information about G4S and al-Qeeq’s case, demanding his immediate release.
Arab and Palestinian organizations in Berlin, Germany came together on Friday, 19 February to protest for freedom for imprisoned Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq, 33, as he entered his 87th day of hunger strike in protest of his detention without charge or trial. Despite the ostensible “suspension” of his administrative detention by the Israeli Supreme Court, he remains a prisoner in HaEmek hospital in Afula – denied transfer to a Palestinian hospital in Ramallah.
Al-Qeeq is in severely critical condition; he began his hunger strike on 25 November 2015, originally in protest of his torture under interrogation and then in protest of his imprisonment without charge or trial under administrative detention, alongside approximately 690 other Palestinians, among nearly 7,000 Palestinian prisoners in total held in Israeli occupation prisons.
Protesters demanded the immediate release of Al-Qeeq and called on the German government and the European Union to take action to pressure the Israeli state to free him.
Mohammed Zawahreh, the brother of Moataz Zawahreh, the Palestinian activist from Dheisheh refugee camp killed by Israeli forces as he participated in a demonstration against the occupation in October, and of Ghassan Zawahreh, former administrative detainee and hunger striker who was freed in November 2015 as part of the Battle of Breaking the Chains, was ordered to six months administrative detention by an Israeli occupation military order on 16 February.
Like the other 690 Palestinians held in administrative detention without charge or trial, Zawahreh faces no accusations and has no opportunity to defend himself. The so-called “secret file” created by Israeli intelligence is used against him and both he and his lawyer are denied access. Zawahreh, who with his whole family is a Palestinian refugee and activist leader in the camp, was previously detained for five years by Israeli military occupation forces. Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq, 33, is currently on his 87th day of hunger strike in protest of his imprisonment without charge or trial under administrative detention.
In addition, Daoud al-Ghoul, the organizer of youth programs in Jerusalem for the Palestinian Health Work Committees, was sentenced on 18 February to 18 months imprisonment for alleged “membership in a prohibited organization.” All major Palestinian political parties are labeled prohibited organizations under Israeli military orders. Following al-Ghoul’s visit to Europe in October 2014, where he spoke before the European Parliament about the conditions faced by Palestinians in Jerusalem and ongoing Israeli occupation attempts to drive them out, he was first barred from his city of Jerusalem and then barred from the West Bank entirely.
On 30 June 2015, al-Ghoul was arrested by Israeli occupation forces, despite calls around the world for his freedom; his work as a youth organizer and Palestinian health leader is internationally renowned.
Activists in Venice organized an action in support of Omar Nayef Zayed, the former Palestinian prisoner now sought for extradition by Israel from Bulgaria, on Thursday, 18 February.
Zayed, who escaped Israeli imprisonment in 1990 after a 40-day hunger strike, has lived in Bulgaria for the past 22 years; he has a Bulgarian wife and three Bulgarian children. He is now being pursued, since December 2015, by Bulgarian police and officials at the request of the Israeli state, which has demanded he be turned over for extradition and the reimposition of a life sentence.
The Bulgarian authorities have not succeeded in capturing Zayed to date; however, he remains at high risk. In addition, his case sets a dangerous precedent for other Palestinians in Europe, as Israel is attempting to invoke the Council of Europe’s treaty on criminal extradition to seize this former Palestinian political prisoner.
The Association Ya Basta! Edi Bese! displayed a banner on the island of San Giorgio, where, in 1980, the European Council noted the “recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.” Activists raised a banner with the words: “Justice for Omar. No extradition!”
At the same time, Palestinians in Jenin gathered to demand justice for Zayed, originally from Jenin where he grew up and lived his entire life until his arrest by Israeli forces in 1986. They demanded that the Bulgarian government stop acting as police and security forces of the Israeli occupation attempting to jail a Palestinian prisoner accused of struggling for the freedom of his people.
Palestinian students from Al-Quds University, studying as part of an exchange program at SciencesPo in Paris, organized with fellow students a solidarity action with imprisoned Palestinian journalist, Mohammed al-Qeeq, now on his 87th day of hunger strike.
The students, who organize with the Progressive Student Labor Front in Palestine, posted signs, banners and videos about al-Qeeq’s struggle, his imprisonment without charge or trial under administrative detention, and the mass imprisonment of nearly 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners.
They distributed a petition, demanding al-Qeeq’s freedom, winning wide support and solidarity from fellow university students.
Imprisoned Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq is entering his 87th day of hunger strike and facing a severe medical crisis. Mohammed Kana’aneh, former Palestinian prisoner and leader in the Abnaa el-Balad movement in occupied Palestine ’48, reported that al-Qeeq was experiencing severe respiratory problems, severe chest pains and difficulty breathing, and had requested to see his wife and children on the morning of Friday, 19 February.
Kana’aneh is one of several Palestinian leaders from ’48 from across the Palestinian political spectrum who have launched a hunger strike in solidarity with al-Qeeq, including Sheikh Raed Salah and Mohammed Barakeh. Kana’aneh also reported that a large group of Palestinians from ’48, who hold Israeli citizenship, had gathered at HaEmek hospital in Afula and were then attacked and chased out by Israeli special forces, who arrested several of the participants. They have set up a picket line outside the entrance to the hospital, demanding freedom for Mohammed al-Qeeq and his right to be transferred to a Palestinian hospital in freedom, which was denied by the Israeli Supreme Court on Tuesday, 16 February.
Protests continued throughout Palestine demanding freedom for al-Qeeq, and a group of Birzeit University students launched a hunger strike in support of his struggle. Al-Qeeq is a Birzeit graduate; he was a student leader during his time at the university.
On Thursday, Fayha Shalash, al-Qeeq’s wife, posted a brief English language video appealing for international support for the imprisoned journalist, who has been on hunger strike since 25 November, initially in protest of his torture under interrogation and then in protest of his administrative detention without charge or trial.
Shalash called on people around the world to support al-Qeeq’s struggle for freedom:
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network calls for EMERGENCY ACTION everywhere in the world to save Mohammed al-Qeeq and secure his freedom, in every city, on every campus, in every community. Events and actions have taken place in London, New York, Montreal, Berlin, Dublin, Brussels, Nicosia, Lebanon, and throughout Palestine. Now is the time for protests, sit-ins, flyering, tabling, and call-in actions to raise the voice and the profile of Mohammed al-Qeeq and create real popular pressure for his immediate release.
Take Action:
1. Contact government officials and demand that they break their silence on Al-Qeeq and support for Israeli violations of Palestinian rights. In the United States, call the Israel Foreign Service Desk
1-202-647-3672 and the White House – 202-456-1111. Demand action on al-Qeeq’s case and an end to aid to Israel. In the UK, call UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Philip Hammond, MP, +44 20 7008 1500. In Canada, call Foreign Minister Stephane Dion: 613-996-5789.
2. Protest at an Israeli consulate or embassy (or federal building, G4S office or public square) and demand freedom for Mohammed al-Qeeq. Raise the issue of this case publicly and distribute information – this flyer is available for you to distribute at protests in your community. Find your closest Israeli consulate: http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/israel. Please email us at samidoun@samidoun.netto inform us of your action – we will publicize and share news with the prisoners.
3. Boycott, Divest and Sanction. Palestinians have urged an international boycott of Israeli goods and institutions – and corporations that profit from occupation , like G4S, the world’s largest private security company, that sells security equipment to Israeli prisons, checkpoints and police training centers – directly profiting from the occupation that destroys Palestinian lives. At the same time G4S profits from occupation, institutions like the United Nations continue to do business with it. Go to addameer.org/UNdropG4S to take action!
Saturday, 20 February 3:00 pm Domplatte Cologne, Germany
The European Alliance in Defence of European Detainees is calling for a demonstration in Cologne, Germany (Köln) to demand freedom for imprisoned hunger-striking Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq. Al-Qeeq, threatened with death at any moment, will be on his 88th day of hunger strike.
Protesters in London demanded the immediate release of imprisoned Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq as he lay in hospital in critical condition on his 86th day of hunger strike in protest of his imprisonment without charge or trial. Demonstrators gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in London in a protest organized by the Palestinian Forum in Britain on Thursday, 18 February.
The protesters called for building stronger solidarity in Europe and internationally with al-Qeeq and all Palestinian prisoners, and called on the European governments to take a real position and confront the Israeli occupation, and demand it release Mohammed al-Qeeq and end administrative detention without charge or trial.
Demonstrators gathered at the Schuman Roundabout across from the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels on 17 February, demanding that the European Union take action on the case of Mohammed al-Qeeq, the imprisoned Palestinian journalist on hunger strike for 87 days in protest of his imprisonment without charge or trial.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network participated in the protest, organized by the Palestinian Community of Belgium and Luxembourg, alongside a number of organizations including Secours Rouge, Intal, the International Federation of Journalists, Association Belgo-Palestinienne, Palestina Solidariteit and others.
Friday, 19 February 3:00 pm Brandenburger Tor Berlin, Germany
Join Palestinian and Arab organizations in Berlin, Germany to call for freedom for imprisoned Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq, on his 87th day of hunger strike against his administrative detention without charge or trial.
