Palestinian prisoners in Nafha demand rights, plan protest

2 February 2014

Palestinian prisoners in Nafha prison stated through the Palestine Prisoners Society that they will begin to take protest steps that may escalate to a hunger strike in April 2014 if their demands are not recognized.

The prisoners are demanding:

1. The provision of professional and quick medical treatment to all patients in the prisons, particularly those held in the Ramle prison clinic.

2. Full implementation of the visiting agreement for the families of prisoners from Gaza. Following the April-May 2012 Karameh hunger strike, prison authorities committed to allow regular visits every two weeks, but the prison authorities have repeatedly failed to adhere to this agreement.

3. A full conclusion to the issue of solitary confinement, which was agreed to be ended following the strike; however, Dirar Abu Sisi’s isolation was not ended and other prisoners have since been held in isolation.

4. End the use of the “Bosta”, with iron chairs and shackles, particularly for the transportation of sick prisoners to hospitals.

5. Waiting rooms for prisoners’ families for visitation, and the waiting room for treatment at Ramle prison clinic, are dirty and not properly maintained; they are also too small and must be enlarged.

6. End the prohibition of family visits to prisoners under the pretext of “security” to exclude relatives from the prisons.

7. End the exploitation of prisoners through the high prices in the canteen, in the hands of the private corporation which has a monopoly on the canteen and providing prisoners with food.

Minnesota solidarity with Ahmad Sa’adat and Palestinian prisoners

2 February 2014

From Fight Back News Service:

Saint Paul, MN – Activists from the anti-war and the Palestine solidarity movement gathered here, Jan. 24 to demand the release of all Palestinian political prisoners and an end to Palestinian Authority (PA) security cooperation with Israeli occupation forces. The group rallied for an hour in the midst of a snowstorm. The vigil was held in response to a call from the Campaign to Free Ahmed Sa’adat for Freedom Weeks to commemorate the 12th anniversary of Sa’adat’s abduction by PA forces.

Observed by hundreds of drivers at one of St. Paul’s busiest rush hour intersections, the group included members of the Minneapolis-based Anti-War Committee, the Minnesota Cuba Committee, students from nearby Macalester College and regular attendees of the long-running weekly Palestine solidarity vigil held in the same location.

According to the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network Samidoun, “Ahmad Sa’adat, General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, is one of over 5200 Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails. These political prisoners – men, women and children – are activists, organizers and political leaders of the Palestinian people.”

At the conclusion of Friday’s vigil, Anti-War Committee member Sophia Hansen-Day shared the following words, “We are here today to demand the release of all Palestinian political prisoners and for an end to Palestinian Authority security cooperation with Israeli occupation forces. We are here today to commemorate the 12th anniversary of Ahmed Sa’adat’s abduction by PA security forces and to call attention to his ongoing imprisonment by Israeli occupiers.

“We are here today to acknowledge the power of solidarity. In the words of heroic freedom fighter Samer Issawi prior to his release, ‘Your solidarity gives me the power to continue my hunger strike until I achieve my demand for freedom. It strengthens my steadfastness because it makes me realize that I’m not alone in the battle for freedom and dignity.’ Today we celebrate the release of Samer Issawi whose determination galvanized the Palestinian resistance, and we acknowledge the work yet to be done.

“We are here today on land stolen from the Dakota people to mark the ongoing occupation of Indigenous territory both in the U.S. and Palestine, to recognize the crimson blood on all our hands and to adamantly refuse silent complicity with settler colonialism and its ongoing violence.

“So, today, we raise our voices to the power of resistance, to the power of solidarity, to the power of demanding dignity and justice for all! Another world is necessary, another world is possible, another world is on her way. Long live Palestine!”

For more information, please go to www.freeahmadsaadat.org or attend an Anti-War Committee meeting held 7-9pm Thursday evenings at 4200 Cedar Ave in Minneapolis.

Imprisoned journalist Mohammad Mona’s appeal denied hearing

2 February 2014

The Israeli Supreme Court rejected a petition filed by imprisoned Palestinian journalist Mohammad Mona of Quds Press, from Nablus, demanding his release. Mona has been imprisoned since August 7, 2013.

He is being held in administrative detention without charge or trial since that time and his first detention period is scheduled to expire soon. Ahmed al-Betawi of Solidarity Association said that the Supreme Court generally refuses to hear these petitions from prisoners in their first period of administrative detention. Palestinians may be held for indefinitely renewable periods, each being up to six months, under administrative detention, without charge or trial.

Mona was arrested after a raid on his home east of Nablus. On August 15 he was sentenced to a six-month term in administrative detention; no charges were raised against him. His term should end in early February, unless occupation officials extend his administrative detention for an additional period.

Who Profits report: Corporations profit from Israeli prisons

25 January 2014

Who Profits released the following report on the involvement of Israeli and multinational corporations in the Israeli prison system:

On December 2013, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) responded to a freedom of information request by Who Profits, which was submitted three months earlier, regarding twenty-two corporations that provide services to Israeli prisons.

These companies mainly provide security equipment and services to incarceration facilities that hold Palestinian prisoners and detainees inside Israel and in the occupied West Bank. These incarceration facilities hold Palestinian political prisoners in violation of international law, and torture and systematic violations of human rights take place within their walls. According to Addameer’s latest monthly detention report (December 2013), there are 5033 Palestinian political prisoners in the Israeli prisons, 173 of whom are minors and 145 are administrative detainees.

The following table is an English translation of information provided by the Israel Prison Service to Who Profits, regarding twenty-two corporations that provide services to Israeli prisons and detention facilities.

Company Name	Characteristics of Contract	End of Contract	Comments	Financial Scope
G4S	Maintaining supporting management systems, magnetometer gates, scanning machines and ankle monitors	During the fiscal year 2015	According to an IPS tender	Tens of millions of shekels
3M			Based on occasional bids
MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS ISRAEL	Maintaining wireless systems and lighting bridges Repairing wireless devices	During the fiscal year 2016	According to an IPS tender	Tens of millions of shekels
HEWLETT- PACKARD (HP)	Printers Maintaining HP systems and central servers	During the fiscal year 2016	Tenders by the Accountant General + tenders by the IPS	Tens of millions of shekels
MERKAVIM TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES			Based on occasional bids
MAYER’S CARS AND TRUCKS			Based on occasional bids
VOLVO GROUP			Based on occasional bids
Biosense	Supplying and maintaining a dog-bark identification system	During the fiscal year 2014	According to an IPS tender	Hundreds of thousands of shekels
Myform			Based on occasional bids
MIRS COMMUNICATIONS	Purchase of battery services Providing wireless services	During the fiscal year 2016	Tenders by the Accountant General + Tenders by the IPS	Hundreds of thousands of shekels
AFCON HOLDINGS	Installing, providing year-round service and maintaining fire detection systems	During the fiscal year 2015	According to an IPS tender	Tens of millions of shekels
Contact			Based on occasional bids
SHAMRAD ELECTRONICS	Relocating communication infrastructureSupplying electronic equipment Repairing sound system	During the fiscal year 2015	According to an IPS tender	Tens of millions of shekels
B.G. ILANIT GATES AND URBAN ELEMENTS			Based on occasional bids
Dadash Hadarom Distribution	Purchase of canteen products	31/07/14	According to a tender
Shekem			Based on occasional bids
Shiran			Based on occasional bids
S.I.R.N.			Based on occasional bids
Shekel			Based on occasional bids
ASHTROM GROUP			Based on occasional bids
Lymtech			Based on occasional bids

Who Profits also provides documentation and research on several of these companies at the links below:

G4S Israel (Hashmira)

Hewlett Packard (HP)

Motorola Solutions

Merkavim Transportation Technologies

Mayer’s Cars and Trucks

B.G. Ilanit Gates and Urban Elements

Ashtrom Group

Medical neglect: Former prisoner Ashraf Abu Tharee’ died after years of medical neglect

25 January 2014

On the first anniversary of the passing of Ashraf Abu Tharee’, another critical story of the impacts of medical neglect on seriously ill Palestinian political prisoners in occupation prisons:

On Jan 22^nd2013, the former prisoner Ashraf Abu Tharee’ (27 years old), passed away after entering a coma and being hospitalized at the Augusta Victoria hospital in Jerusalem.

His death was a cause of deliberate medical neglect by the occupation’s prison administration against the Palestinian prisoners. Ashraf spent more than six years in captivity in his wheelchair at the hospital of the Ramle prison following his arrest. He was released on Nov 15, 2012 after he had suffered medical negligence for years which lead to the deterioration of his health.

It only took two months after his release for his body to finally give in to death.

The occupation prisons are full of prisoners who are victims of medical negligence and suffer major threats to their lives. Currently, more than 1400 prisoners are suffering the lack of basic medical care, 75 of them with severe illnesses.

Palestinian prisoners with illnesses continue to suffer in occupation jails

23 January 2014

Palestinian political prisoners with severe illnesses continue to suffer in occupation prisons, Palestinian lawyer Hanan al-Khatib reported.

Salahedin Ahmed al-Titi, of Arroub refugee camp, has been detained since 2013, held in Ramle hospital. He fell unconscious during Khatib’s visit and was taken to the clinic for urgent tests. He has suffered since birth with major stomach and intestinal issues for which he has undergone 10 surgical procedures. He continues to suffer from kidney and bladder problems.

Khatib reported that Titi has not received medication for his high blood pressure, he suffers from impaired vision and has difficulty standing.

She also reported that Thaer Halahleh, former long-term hunger striker who was re-arrested following his release, continues to suffer from poor health. Halahleh contracted Hepatitis C during a dental procedure at Ashkelon prison during his previous imprisonment.

Halahleh fell on multiple occasions on December 28 when he was transferred to Soroka hospital from the prison; he continues to have chronic fatigue as well as severe pain in his abdomen, back and kidneys. Halahleh is demanding that he be allowed to bring in a private doctor for his treatment. He is receiving critical treatment only and refusing painkillers.

The family of Mansour Moqtada renewed the call for his release. Moqtada uses a wheelchair and has an external artificial stomach and intestines following multiple surgeries. He was shot by Israeli occupation military forces during his arrest and continues to suffer from severe health consequences of that injury. He continues to be denied release by the Israeli military courts, despite spending nearly twelve years in prison and his serious physical injuries.

Administrative detainees plan to boycott military courts through March 2014

23 January 2014

The Higher Committee of Administrative Detainees announced a statement on Sunday, January 19, stating that administrative detainees will boycott the military courts until the end of March, 2014.

The statement, addressing supporters of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement, said that administrative detainees had been engaging in various protests since October 25, 2013, including boycotting the military courts, one-day hunger strikes, and other actions. Various negotiations have been held between the prisoners, lawyers, and the Israeli Prison Services.

Administrative detainees are held without charge or trial, for indefinitely renewable terms of up to six months. They are demanding an end to the process of detention without charge or trial.

The statement announced that they hope to receive concessions from the prison administration and the occupation security forces prior to the end of March 2014; they stated that if not, administrative detainees plan to engage in a mass hunger strike as well as a medicine strike in April 2014.

e a bit of time to study the crisis and results. Accordingly, the Commission decided the Supreme Administrative prisoner administrators in the prisons of the occupation comments steps not to go to court until the end March 2014 and added: “We hope to reach the desired results in terms of administrative detention Otherwise, the prisoners administrators will go to the mass strike for food and medicine in the month of April next year.

Ibrahim Hamed ends hunger strike in agreement

23 January 2014

Palestinian political prisoner Ibrahim Hamed launched a 3-day hunger strike that ended on January 16 with an agreement about his isolation in Israeli prisons.

Hamed, who is serving 57 life sentences, was moved to isolation on January 9, sparking protests in various prisons and strong concern among Palestinian prisoners that the policy of isolation, particularly used against leaders among Palestinian prisoners, would come back in full force. Hamed was one of 19 Palestinian leaders who was removed from isolation in May 2012 following the agreement ending the Karameh mass prisoners’ hunger strike.

The Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies reported that Hamed’s wife said that he had ended his hunger strike on the basis of an agreement between the leadership of Hamas prisoners in Israeli prisons and the Prison Service. He will be held in isolation until April 9.

Voice of Palestine Radio: Muath Abu Al-Qumssan on Freedom Weeks and Palestinian Prisoners

13 January 2014

Voice of Palestine radio has released a new interview with Muath Abu Alqumssan from the Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat for Freedom Weeks. Muath, himself a former political prisoner, discusses the upcoming events to call for freedom for all Palestinian political prisoners, including Ahmad Sa’adat, and for an end to Palestinian Authority security cooperation with Israeli occupying forces.

Our final piece of music is by Palestinian American singer George Kurmoz entitled Ansar, after the infamous Ansar prisons maintained by Israel to incarcerate Palestinians. The song is dedicated to the Palestinian political prisoners, whose day of freedom and justice will surely come soon.

Click on this link to access a download of the show: http://www.voiceofpalestine.ca/?p=4225

Browse our archives for the past ten years on our homepage: http://www.voiceofpalestine.ca/

London, January 17: Protest G4S complicity in torture of Palestinian women

13 January 2014

PROTEST G4S COMPLICITY IN TORTURE OF PALESTINIAN WOMEN – FREE LENA AL-JARBONI

DATE: Friday 17th January 2014, 2pm – 4pm
LOCATION: G4S HQ, 105 Victoria Street (Closest public transport: Victoria Tube/Rail station)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/691875460844559/

PALESTINIAN WOMEN POLITICAL PRISONERS

We are launching a campaign to highlight the plight of Palestinian women in Israeli prisons, and specifically G4S complicity in their torture and suffering.

Currently there are 17 Palestinian women political prisoners in Israeli prisons. All but one is in HaSharon prison in Israel. The British private security contractor G4S provides the full security system at HaSharon including the central command room for the entire prison. The transfer of Palestinian prisoners from the occupied West Bank and Gaza to into Israel (to HaSharon Prison) is illegal under international law and constitutes a war crime, G4S is complicit in this by the services it provides to HaSharon Prison.

Before being brought to prison the women have to endure weeks, sometimes months, of torture at one of Israel’s interrogation centres to extract confessions from them – usually the infamous ‘Russian Compound’ in Jerusalem or the notorious Al-Jalame torture den – both these facilities are also secured by G4S.

The longest serving Palestinian women prisoner is Lena Al-Jarboni who has endured 11 years in HaSharon. The campaign will centre around her as an example of what Palestinian women have to endure and their resilience and steadfastness in the face of the occupation prisons.

LENA Al-JARBONI

Lena was born in 1974 to a Palestinian family near Acre in 1948 Palestine. Due to financial difficulty she could not complete her studies and worked in sewing workshops to help her family. In 2002 she was picked up by Israeli security. After 30 days of severe torture at Israels notorious G4S secured Al-Jalame torture den they charged her with “collaborating with the enemy” – she unlike her Palestinian friends has an Israeli citizenship. They sentenced her to 17 years in HaSharon women’s prison.

At HaSharon prison Palestinian women prisoners have to endure beatings, insults, threats, sexually explicit harassment and sexual violence, and humiliation at the hands of Israeli guards. Often they are forced to undergo degrading and intrusive body searches during the middle of the night for no reason other an as a punitive measure. Women have been beaten and left tied to their bed for a day and a half and not allowed to go to the toilet as punishment for spilling water. The cells at HaSharon prison are overcrowded, dirty and infected with rodents and cockroaches. There is a total absence of basic hygiene, women have even been denied sanitary pads when menstruating. The heat is unbearable, The windows are closed and covered so that hardly any air or daylight can enter. The food is insufficient, and of inferior quality & dirty, often containing insects & worms, at times there are not enough portions for all the women.

At HaSharon Lena became the spokeswoman for the other prisoners and converted the squalid rat infested cellars in to an area for prayer and education. She taught sewing classes and Quran. Due to medical negligence Lena can no longer walk and suffers from extreme pain in her stomach and constant migraines. The prison refused to transfer her to hospital for an essential cholecystectomy operation in time. It was only when all the women prisoners threatened to go on hunger strike that they finally allowed her the operation. She has never recovered and her condition is deteriorating. Having endured 11 years in HaSharon prison she is the longest serving Palestinian woman prisoner. She has 6 more years left of her sentence, in her condition it is very unlikely she can survive that. We are demanding her immediate release.

Please join us as we launch his campaign with a protest outside G4S HQ on Friday 17th January 2014 2pm-4pm.

We would like to thank the Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies, and Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association for their help in this campaign.

LIVE UPDATES DURING PROTEST

We will, inshAllah, be tweeting live (hash tags #FreeLenaJarboni #G4S ) from the protest with live photos being uploaded to our twitter and facebook page. So if you can’t join us on the day, please help us by sharing the photos as they get uploaded.

https://www.facebook.com/inmindscom

https://twitter.com/InmindsCom

PLEASE HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE HARES BOYS

On the day, as always, we will also be protesting for the immediate release of the Hares Boys.

One way those who cannot attend the protest can help is by helping raise money for the Hares Boys – five Palestinian children abducted from their homes in the village of Hares and caged in a hole in the ground and tortured until false confessions were extracted for stone throwing and are now facing possible life sentences. The aim is to raise as much as we can in 80 days (starting 30th Oct) to help all the 5 families to deal with the financial burden associated with having their children imprisoned. The children have already spent 10 months in an Israeli dungeon.

Israel is the only country in the world that charges prisoners for their imprisonment. They have to buy food, soap, toothpaste, and everything else for highly inflated prices in the prison shop, because the Apartheid state does not provide for the people it incarcerates. Not only are such policies designed to break the spirit of the imprisoned and their families – they also intend to ruin them financially. Its costs over 125 euros per month to provide for one child’s basic needs in prison.

The initial target of 2000 euros has been reached thanks to our French comrades, who raised a magnificent 1000 euros. The target was however kept low because of the way the fundraising works – if you don’t reach the target in 80 days all the money is returned and the families don’t get any of the money. So we still need people to contribute, every little helps. So far 2,822 euros have been raised with just 6 days remaining. Around 6% of the amount raised goes towards administrative and bank fees of namlebee – the hosts of the fundraising.

Please give generously, thank you.

http://www.namlebee.com/?np=proyecto&pro=27

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