Administrative detainees boycott military courts

6 January 2014

Palestinian administrative detainees in Israeli prisons have rejected a proposal from the occupation prison authorities to delay their protests of their detention without charge or trial, reported the Palestinian Prisoners Society.

Prison officials met with a group of administrative detainees, saying that their demands had been transferred to the security services and that responses would be forthcoming; they then asked the Palestinian administrative detainees to return to the courts, which they are boycotting, and not escalate their protest, said Jawad Boulos, head of PPS’ legal unit.

The detainees rejected this proposal, noting that the prison authorities have already delayed for months their response to the demands, and that they will continue boycotting the military courts and the Israeli Supreme Court and will take further steps to escalate.

Boulos said that the number of administrative detainees who refuse to go to the courts has increased, noting that Sami Hussein Ibrahim boycotted a Supreme Court hearing on Monday, as did Akram al-Fasissi.

Administrative detainees are held without charge or trial on secret “security” evidence, for six-month terms, indefinitely renewable. In practice, administrative detention is used to arbitrarily detain Palestinians without even the minimal standards of the military court, which convict Palestinians charged before them at a rate of 99.74%.

Palestinian journalist seized near Ramallah

6 January 2014

Ma’an reported that Israeli forces detained a Palestinian journalist after raiding his home in Kafr Nima village west of Ramallah on Monday morning, January 6.

Muhammad Omar al-Dik, 24, is a journalist in the media office of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front. Al-Dik is a graduate student at Birzeit University and that he has an undergraduate degree in political science and media.

“Targeting Palestinian journalists on a regular basis by Israeli forces is an evidence to Israeli racism and oppression,” said Husni Shilo, an official from the syndicate of Palestinian journalists.

He highlighted that the detention of al-Dik brings the number of Palestinian journalists currently jailed in Israel to 12.

2013: 3,874 Palestinians arrested by occupation army

2 January 2014

3,874 Palestinians were arrested in 2013, reported the ministry of prisoners in the West Bank. The Palestinians arrested included all social sectors, women, men, children, elders, parliamentarians and others.

An average of 323 Palestinians were arrested each month and 11 each day, an arrest rate one percent higher than 2012, and 17% higher than 2011.

3,799 Palestinians were arrested from the West Bank and 75 from the Gaza Strip. Palestinians arrested from Gaza included fishers whose boats were attacked at sea by Israeli gunships and people attempting to accompany patients for treatment through Erez crossing. As of December 2013, 4996 Palestinian political prisoners were held in Israeli jails, as reported by Addameer.

Newly released Shawamreh hospitalized

2 January 2014

Naim Shawamreh, freed Palestinian prisoner, was hospitalized on Wednesday January 1 as his health deteriorated, following his release early Monday morning.

Shawamra spent 19 years in Israeli jails and suffers from muscular dystrophy. He was unable to walk by the time of his release.

He was taken to the emergency room in Dura on Wednesday and then transferred on January 2 to al-Ahli hospital in al-Khalil, reported the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society.

Palestinian Political Prisoners Mourning Nelson Mandela

2 January 2014

From within Israeli jails, we send our deep condolences to the family of Nelson Mandela, to the people of South Africa and to the entire humanity, in particular to all victims of oppression and injustice as well as to all those struggling for freedom and human dignity. We share the sadness and the strong feeling of gratitude towards Nelson Mandela.

We, the PPP, send our condolences to our Palestinian people who had the honor of having Nelson Mandela as the greatest friend of us as a people seeking national liberation, decolonization and dezionisation of Palestine.

Mandela made the linkage more clear between the struggles of our two peoples. He considered that the liberation of South Africa would be completed with the liberation of Palestine from Israeli occupation.

Nelson Mandela will not be missed, he cannot disappear, he exists and will continue to exist and be alive in the hearts and minds of all nations. Among Palestinians, Nelson Mandela symbolizes the most promising story in our long road to freedom. For decades, Mandela has been an anchor of hope, an integral part of our history of struggle as well of Palestinian and Arab poetry, literature, songs, names of persons and institutions. Mandela is not just a symbol of South Africa but also a symbol of Palestine besides the historical Palestinian leader Yaser Arafat and the great fighters. We consider the South African people as sisters and brothers of all Palestinians.

On the contrary, Israel as the remaining colonial racist enterprise of Zionism in Palestine and the apartheid regime of the past in South Africa were strategical allies and shared the same ‘values’. Israel, apartheid as well as all illegetimate regimes are allies.

It is repugnant to listen to Israeli leaders who abuse Nelson Mandela’s values with their fulsome campaign that makes short work of his!
Mandela symbolized three major landmarks: struggle for freedom, the failure of the apartheid regime and the act of forgiveness. Only great leaders with great victories have the capacity to forgive. But forgiveness is possible after liberation, not before. Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting. The oppressors want their victims to forget in order to undermine their rights, abused and violated by the oppressor.

Mandela, ANC and all South African people deserve the greatest respect and mourning from the people. Mandela deserves the respect all the world leaders showed him. But those leaders, in particular those of the USA and the post-colonial countries of Europe, should apologize to the people of South Africa as well as to all peoples who suffered slavery and colonization at the hands of these countries. The crimes of their countries against humanity shouldn’t be forgotten.

Of the Palestinian political prisoners (PPP) in Israeli jails, who currently number 5,000, hundreds have spent already 27 years imprisoned as did Mandela. When we as PPP and as Palestinian people think of Mandela, we are sure that freedom can be achieved only through the struggle for it. The Israeli colonial enterprise is not stronger than the apartheid regime. Palestine will be free.

Thank you Nelson Mandela…

Ameer Makhoul

On behalf of PPP

Palestinian ill prisoner Ali Da’na on hunger strike for 29 days

2 January 2014

Ali Fahmi Ibrahim Da’na, 35, has now been on open hunger strike for 29 days amid worsening health, reported lawyer Fares Ziad of Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.

Ziad visited with Da’na in the Ramle prison clinic, noting that he suffers from poor health, low blood sugar; he has vomited blood on three occasions and continues to refuse all medical tests. Da’na is striking in protest of medical neglect by the prison administration.

The director of intelligence in the prison agreed to some of Da’na’s demands including visits with his mother and daughter, ending sanctions upon him for striking and transfer to Hadarim prison as well as providing treatment for his illness, during a meeting with Da’na, asking him to end his strike. However, an agreement was not made and additional meetings are planned in order to reach an agreement between Da’na and the prison administration.

Following his announcement of hunger strike, the prison administration banned Da’na from receiving family visits for 3 months, placed him in isolation for two weeks and fined him. Da’na’s isolation cell was inspected hourly at night, depriving him of sleep. Da’na was transferred to Ramle hospital after 14 days of strike and solitary confinement, suffering numbness, muscle spasms and low blood pressure.

Da’na suffers from health problems including chronic inflammation in the large intestine and chronic constipation. He was receiving medications on a permanent basis for both of these medical issues, but the prison doctor in Negev prison cancelled his prescription for three months and his attempts to receive treatment or resume his medications were rejected.

In mid-November 2013, while he was held in Negev prison, Da’na sued the prison clinic for denying his appointments and refusing to provide him with needed medication. Two days later a special unit ransacked and searched his room. He began his open hunger strike on December 3, 2013 and was transferred to solitary confinement. Da’na, of Ras al-Amud in Jerusalem, was arrested on July 16, 2003.

Badr brothers end hunger strike after being charged for military trial

2 January 2014

Mohammed Badr, 25 and Islam Badr, 20, two Palestinian men held in Israeli occupation prisons, ended a 38-day hunger strike on December 22, 2013 after they were removed from administrative detention and transferred for trial.

Ma’an News reported that their families reported that they would now face charges in Israeli military courts. The brothers were arrested on October 28 by undercover Israeli military forces in Beit Liqya village.

Mohammed and Islam Badr launched a hunger strike in mid-November in protest against their administrative detention without charge, but ended the strike after the agreement was reached.

Their family told Ahrar Center for Prisoners’ Studies and Human Rights that the administrative detention against the two brothers had been concluded as a part of the deal.

Administrative detention refers to the tactic of keeping a prisoner without charge or trial for extended periods of time.

Also on hunger strike with the Badr brothers is Thaer Abdu. Reports indicate that he is continuing his strike.

26 long-time Palestinian political prisoners released

2 January 2014

On December 30, 26 long-time Palestinian prisoners were released, the latest of the 104 prisoners scheduled to be released. The releasees included Naim Shawamreh, the severely ill Palestinian prisoner suffering from severe health problems and facing inadequate medical treatment in occupation prisons. The full list of releasees is below:

Ahmad Farid Shehadeh – Jerusalem, life sentence
Yassin Abu Khudair – Jerusalem, 28 years
Bilal Abu Hussein – Jerusalem, 38 years
Ibrahim Taqtouq – Nablus, life sentence
Bilal Ibrahim Damra – Salfit, life sentence
Mukhlas Sudki Sawafteh – Jenin, life sentence
Faisal Mustafa Abu Rub – Jenin, life sentence
Mahmoud Atta Mouammal – Bethlehem, life sentence
Nu’man Yusef Shalabi – Jenin, life sentence
Adnan Mohammad Affandi – Bethlehem, 30 years
Jamal Khaled Abu Mohsen – Tubas, life sentence
Ibrahim Khalil Salah – Bethlehem, life sentence
Ahmad Juma’ Khalaf – Jerusalem, 21 years
Osama Silawi – Jenin, life sentence
Mahmoud Da’ajneh – Jerusalem, life sentence
Mohammed Afaneh – Ramallah, 40 years
Ramadan Abu Yacoub – Ramallah, life sentence
Ayman Jaradat – Jenin, life sentence
Ahmad Kamail – Jenin, life sentence
Said al-Tamimi – Ramallah, life sentence
Nasser Barham – Tulkarem, life sentence
Mahmoud Salman – Gaza, life sentence
Jamal Abu Jammal – Jerusalem, 22 years
Ibrahim Abu Ali – Gaza, life sentence
Naim Shawamreh – al-Khalil, life sentence
Rami Barbakh – Gaza, life sentence

Samer Issawi’s victory and freedom celebrated

2 January 2014

Palestinian political prisoner, Samer Issawi, whose 222-day hunger strike captured the attention and solidarity of the Palestinian people and people around the world, was released on December 23 to mass celebration.

Though the Israeli occupation forces attempted to prohibit marches or rallies in his Jerusalem hometown, Issawiyeh, and raided his home a day before, summoning Samer’s father, Tariq and brother, Medhat, Issawi was welcomed home by cheering crowds, celebrating his victory.

Issawi was released from occupation prisons in the October 2011 prisoner exchange agreement and was re-arrested in July 2012, accused of travelling to another Jerusalem-area town, allegedly violating the terms of his release (although the town sits within Jerusalem municipal boundaries.) The Israeli occupation threatened to re-impose his original twenty-year sentence. In protest, Issawi launched a hunger strike which ended with an agreement to release him on December 23.

The Free Samer Issawi Campaign, now called the Global Campaign for Palestinian Political Prisoners, held daily “Twitter storms” using social media to highlight Issawi’s case. Events took place across Palestine and around the world in solidarity with Issawi’s strike.

He rejected multiple proposals to displace him to Gaza, insisting that Jerusalem – Issawiyeh – was his hometown, and he would not leave.

Issawi was recently named 2013 Person of the Year by Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper, and the Electronic Intifada published a new interview with Issawi following his release.

For more information:

Free Samer Issawi Campaign/GCPPP on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/GCFPPP

Issawi’s release places individual hunger strikes in spotlight, Linah Alsaafin, Al-Monitor: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/12/samer-issawi-release-palestine-prisoners-hunger-strike.html

Person of the Year 2013: Palestinian hunger striker Samer Issawi, Al-Akhbar English: http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/person-year-2013-palestinian-hunger-striker-samer-al-issawi

Solidarity helped me keep fighting, says released hunger striker Samer Issawi, Budour Yousef Hassan, Electronic Intifada: http://electronicintifada.net/content/solidarity-helped-me-keep-fighting-says-released-hunger-striker-samer-issawi/13049

Halahleh moved to Soroka hospital in worsening health

1 January 2014

Thaer Halahleh, Palestinian prisoner and former long-term hunger striker, was transferred from Ramon prison to Soroka Medical Center on December 26 after his health condition seriously worsened.

Halahleh was on hunger strike in 2012 for 77 days in protest of his administrative detention without charge or trial, and was released in June 2012 at the conclusion of his administrative detention order.

He was re-arrested in April 2013 and diagnosed by Israeli doctors in Ofer prison as having contracted Hepatitis C during a dental operation in Ashkelon prison with non-sterile tools.

Follow us on Instagram @samidounnetwork