Palestinian prisoner Motassem Raddad suffering ill health as prisoners in Etzion and Eshel protest abuse

4 July 2013

The health condition of the patient prisoner Motassem Raddad has noticeably deteriorated after being transferred from Meir hospital to Ramle prison hospital to conduct medical tests, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said on Wednesday, Julu 3.

PPS lawyer Jawad Boulos stated that Raddad’s health situation has deteriorated seriously after he received a cortisone injection, that caused difficulty in moving his leg and hand.

The hospital’s doctors stressed the need to conduct urgent medical tests to check on Raddad’s health situation after the serious complications that have emerged lately, Boulos said.

Raddad suffers inflammatory bowel disease and acute abdominal pain which caused him to bleed profusely, in addition to vision and heart problems.

Meanwhile, Palestinian prisoners in Etzion detention center confirmed that they were subjected to severe beatings amid an acute shortage in basic necessities.

The detainees confirmed that they were subjected to severe beatings during their arrests in addition to attacks against their family members.

Similarly, Palestinian prisoners in Eshel detention centre noted that they were subjected to constant night raids, cell inspections and searches, which included violence and destruction of prisoners’ personal property. Raghab Abu Diak of PPS said that these raids inside the prisons were meant as a provocation and an attack on the prisoners.

5 Palestinians from Jerusalem sentenced to jail

4 July 2013

The Palestine Information Centre reported that the Israeli Magistrate’s Court sentenced 5 Jerusalemite Palestinian youths from the town of Silwan to jail on Wednesday, July 3.

The lawyer at Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Mohamed Mahmoud, stated that the occupation court sentenced Majd Oweis to 10 months, his brother Mohamed to 8 months, Thaer Abbasi to 7 months, and Majd al-Qaq to 8 months.

The four young men were arrested during raids on their houses in the neighborhoods of the town of Silwan.

The court has also sentenced another young man to 4 months actual imprisonment, he added.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Supreme Court decided to add 10 months to the prison sentence issued against the Palestinian boy Abbas Abbasi, aged 17.

Mahmoud noted that the boy was arrested for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails in Ras al-Amud. The Jerusalem District Court last April had sentenced him to 13 months imprisonment, but the public prosecutor submitted an appeal to the court which decided to add 10 months to the boy’s sentence.

Appeals rejected for hunger strikers Tabeesh and Hareebat

3 July 2013

The Israeli military court in Ofer rejected an appeal for release by two Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, Ayman al-Tabeesh and Adel Hareebat, on July 3, reported their lawyer, Jawad Boulos. Both are administrative detainees, held without charge or trial, and have been on hunger strike for 42 days, demanding their release.

They began their strike on May 23, 2013 and are currently held at the Ramle prison clinic. Boulos reported that both detainees are held in very difficult conditions as they are totally isolated in a three-square-meter cell with a toilet inside and one window that is always closed.

He said that the health of both detainees is worsening, and that their jailers continue to harass them in an attempt to dissuade them from going ahead in their hunger strike, adding that the jailers tell them that no one in the world is concerned with their strike.

The lawyer said that both detainees were adamant on continuing in their strike, adding that he agreed with them on taking their case to the Israeli higher court.

Samer Issawi continues to be denied health care

3 July 2013

The occupation’s Prison Services have denied medical checkups for Palestinian prisoner and long-term hunger striker, Samer Issawi, since he was moved to Shata prison following his hunger strike, said prisoner advocates on July 3.

Issawi’s lawyer said that he is suffering from deliberate neglect of his health, and has developed symptoms of illness. Issawi, 33, said two weeks ago that he suffers from pain in the kidneys and the deterioration in his health, without a response from the prison administration.

The Freedom Centre expressed its grave concern for the life of al-Issawi, saying the occupation authorities bear full responsibility for his life, and demanding immediate international institutions to pressure the occupation authorities to provide needed health care and treatment for Issawi until his release at the end of the year.

Issawi’s eight-month hunger strike drew solidarity and support from people around the world.

Abdullah Barghouthi’s health condition worsens on 63rd day of hunger strike

3 July 2013

abarghouti Palestine Information Centre – The health condition of prisoner Abdullah Al-Barghouthi has seriously deteriorated after two months of hunger strike along with four other Jordanian captives, Mohammad Rimawi, Muneer Mir’i, Hamza al-Dabbas Othman, and Alaa Hammad.

Lawyer Hanan Al-Khatib said that the heartbeat of Barghouthi was as low as 40 per minute and his body was shivering similar to the Parkinson disease especially in the upper part of his body, on July 3, Barghouthi’s 63rd day of hunger strike.

She said that Barghouthi was also suffering from constant headache and blurry vision in addition to liver impairment and his body’s store of energy was dwindling and he could go unconscious anytime especially when he is only taking water and glucose injection.

The lawyer quoted Khatib as saying that he would stop taking glucose by Wednesday 3/7/2013 and would only consume water then at a later stage he would stop drinking water.

Khatib said that three Israeli policemen guard Barghouthi round-the-clock and provoke him by eating all kinds of food in front of him.

Jerusalem protest in solidarity with Jordanian strikers as their condition worsens

3 July 2013

jordanian-rally The Palestine Information Centre reported that Palestinian Jerusalemite youths rallied in Bab El-Amud on July 3, in occupied Jerusalem in solidarity with Jordanian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails.

Local sources said that the young men raised the Palestinian and Jordanian flags and photos of the detained captives in addition to posters in various languages demanding their immediate release.

The committee of relatives of Jerusalemite prisoners said that the rally was in response to calls by Jerusalemite youths to stand alongside Jordanian captives especially those on hunger strike.

It said that the hunger strikers are in difficult health conditions and are subjected to Israeli occupation pressures. They have been on hunger strike for 63 days as of July 3.

Shaheen Mir’i, the brother of Jordanian hunger striker Munir Mir’i, said that the conditions of the five Jordanian hunger strikers are very serious, saying their voices have become almost inaudible.

14 Palestinians seized by occupation forces in raids across West Bank

3 July 2013

The Palestine Information Centre reported that Israeli occupation forces (IOF) kidnapped at dawn Wednesday 14 Palestinians during a campaign in different West Bank areas.

Local sources reported that the IOF kidnapped nine Palestinian young men and summoned many others for interrogation during violent raids on homes in Ein Yabrud, north of Ramallah city.

Four other young men, including minors, were kidnapped during a campaign in Al-Aroub refugee camp in Al-Khalil city.
Ma’an identified the people seized as Muatazz Nafiz Kawamleh, 22, his brother Fayiz, 16, Musab Abdul-Basit Abu Rayya, 21, and Zakariyya Nabil al-Qeeq, 16.

Violent clashes also broke out between the invading Israeli soldiers and young men in Al-Aroub refugee camp.

In the old city of Al-Khalil, the IOF detained a young man and raided a house near the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The IOF also stormed the towns of Daheriya and Idna to the south of Al-Khalil, searched an apartment building and a farm without giving reasons, and established checkpoints in different areas of Al-Khalil.

July 5: Protest in London in solidarity with Jordanian hunger strikers

2 July 2013

The Inminds Palestinian Prisoners Campaign announced a protest in solidarity with the Jordanian hunger strikers in Israeli jails. “Following on from last Sundays protest we are again protesting outside the Jordanian Embassy this Friday 5th July in solidarity with Jordanian hunger strikers in Israeli dungeons, shamefully abandoned by the Jordanian government.”

Friday 5th July 2013
2pm outside Jordanian Embassy
6 Upper Phillimore Gardens,
London W8 7HA
(3 mins from High Street Kensington tube station)

Facebook Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/176428555864806

Video of June 30 protest:

Friday 5th July will mark 65 days of hunger strike for 5 Palestinian political prisoners with Jordanian citizenship in Israeli occupation jails. The prisoners families are asking for the immediate release of all Palestinian political prisoners, and in the very least Israel be made to abide by its side of the shameful Wadi Araba normalisation agreement which King Hussein signed with Israel in 1994, under which Jordanian prisoners in Israeli jails should be transferred to Jordan to serve their sentences where at least the families of the prisoners can visit – Israel is at present preventing families of the prisoners from visiting them. The prisoners are also demanding Israel disclose the where about of 20 Jordanian prisoners who are missing, and to return the bodies of the prisoners who have died in Israel custody, which Israel has dumped in numbered graves, back to their families.

It should be noted that Jordanians have consistently demanded their government tear up the treacherous Wadi Araba peace agreement in which King Hussein sold out the Palestinians, and in return gained nothing other than shame for Jordan. Needless to say Israel has been a serial violator of the treaty from day one.. its assassination attempt of Khaled Meshaal in 1997 to its Judaisation of Jerusalem, and its restrictions on access to holy places in Jerusalem..

The five hunger strikers: Abdullah Al-Barghothi, Hamzah Al-Dabbas, Muneer Merei, Alaa Hammad and Mohammad Al-Rimawi have each lost over 18kg in weight. Some of the prisoners have lost their ability to walk and are confined to wheel chairs. Mohammad Al-Rimawi, who suffers from a heart disorder where sometimes his heart beat is 125 and sometimes it drops to 50 beats per minute, is being denied his medicine by the Israeli Prison Service until he agrees to stop his hunger strike. Prisoners are being pressured to stop their hunger strikes with their cells being raided and attack dogs being used in order to intimidate them. As the strike persists the methods employed by Israel are getting more violent. On 26th June 2013 Israeli guards attacked Abdullah Al-Barghouti in the hospital, they dragged him from his hospital bed to the concrete floor and kicked him in the face, causing bleeding.

There have been over 85 demonstrations in Jordan by the families of the prisoners – elderly mothers standing in the burning sun, at several protests each day! Even a 22km solidarity march from one city to another.. All of this falling on deaf ears with the Jordanian government shamefully abandoning the prisoners and according to some accounts even pressuring the prisoners to give up their hunger strike.

Terrified by the iron will of the families and friends of the hunger strikes to relentlessly carry on protesting everyday and the support and respect they garner in wider society and the resulting momentum building up to end the states total submission to every whim of the Zionist enemy, the Jordanian security services have come down very hard on the protesting families. Family members have been threatened with arrest if they persist to champion their loved ones in Israeli dungeons. They dragged away a 16 year old boy, a nephew of one of the hunger strikes, to prison and locked him up for 3 days – his crime was to hand out a leaflet about his uncles’ imprisonment in an Israeli prison. On another occasion, wearing military camouflage uniforms that have never seen service on the enemy front line, the security forces with batons drawn, attacked a peaceful protest with plain cloths security service personnel cowardly targeting hunger striker Muneer Meree’s brother, assaulting him before disappearing back behind the uniform lines.

Its with this backdrop of intimidation, that we made contact with activists in Jordan. The families and campaigners in Jordan courageously, at great personal risk to themselves, asked us to help internationalise the campaign by protesting in solidarity with them in London outside the Jordanian Embassy in a joint protest, with them protesting in Jordan outside the Royal Court (Central Government buildings) on the same day at the same time. That was last Sundays protest, this Friday we build on that success with another protest outside the Jordanian Embassy.

We are asking activists in other countries to similarly show your solidarity on Friday and hold a vigil outside the Jordanian Embassy in your country. If you require print ready PDF’s for leaflets, placards and posters please let us know and we can email them to you.

Live Updates
We will, inshAllah, be tweeting live (hash tag #ShameOnJordan ) 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.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inmindscom-Boycott-Israel/365007213584914
https://twitter.com/InmindsCom

Rana Nazzal recounts arrest experience, lives of women political prisoners in Israeli jails

2 July 2013

Rana Nazzal, Palestinian activist, was arrested alongside Nariman Tamimi on Friday, June 28 at Nabi Saleh village’s weekly protests against illegal settlements on Palestinian land. Both were accused of entering a “closed military zone”, and were held for four days until their release prior to trial on Monday, July 1. Rana Nazzal is a Palestinian Canadian who organizes with SAIA (Students Against Israeli Apartheid) at Carleton University in Ottawa. She blogs at http://zaytouni.wordpress.com/ and tweets at @zaytouni_rana, from which she shared her experiences of arrest, imprisonment, and connection with the 16 Palestinian women prisoners held in occupation prisons:

The following quotes are from Nazzal’s Twitter account on July 2 of her arrest and imprisonment at the hands of the Israeli Occupation Forces: “Was arrested Friday at the #NabiSaleh protest without any provocation. When I asked the soldier why, she replied ‘because I feel like it’. Nariman, myself, & a Spanish man were blindfolded, transported, & isolated from one another for some 8-9 hours before being brought to police.”

Nazzal reported that “Nariman and I were then kept handcuffed in a car with two male soldiers for 7 hours before finally being admitted to Hasharon prison [where all 16 Palestinian women prisoners are currently held]. . .Hasharon prison put us in a cell with cameras the first night. Only after we threatened to hunger strike they moved us to a regular cell.” She had been arrested previously by occupation soldiers while protesting, and comparing the experiences, wrote “Last year was worse. I was alone, confused, recovering from a beating, & arrest was a bit longer. Neither time was the spirit broken though, especially when you are faced with the ferocious spirits of the women prisoners.”

She related that “We met the 16 other Palestinian women political prisoners who welcomed us warmly. On Sunday they cooked mloukhieh & sent it to our cell. Lina Jarbouni and Alaa Joudeh I met when I was imprisoned last year. Lina has 6 years left on a 17 year sentence & Alaa was arrested at 17.

Sireen Khudiri, who was arrested for ‘Internet activism’ is teaching the 16 women prisoners English. Lina Jarbouni is teaching Hebrew. Tahrir Mansour told us soldiers broke everything in her house-fridge, washer- cut open sofas, even stole money, when they arrested her.”

Nazzal said that her case, and Tamimi’s, is not over. “At our trial Monday we were released on bail but the case isn’t over. We just had a trial now. Today at a follow up trial prosecutor pushed for jail time, but judge decided bail & house arrest. Tomorrow we’re appealing that decision!” noting that the “prosecutor said as part of his case for worse punishment on us, that Nariman and I aren’t afraid of the soldiers. Thanks for the compliment.”

“Lots of soldiers try to ease their consciences on us, perhaps by offering us water (wow) or telling us they don’t even like their job. It is much worse to me when a soldier knows what they’re doing is wrong but are too weak to stop doing it. I’m tired of weakness,” she wrote.

Thirteen Palestinians, including nephew of released prisoner Jaafar Abu Salah, seized in West Bank by Israeli forces

2 July 2013

Palestinian media sources, including IMEMC and Ma’an, reported widespread arrest raids across the West Bank of occupied Palestine on July 2, 2013, with 13 Palestinians seized by Israeli occupation forces and numerous homes raided. Among the arrestees are Palestinian Legislative Council member Muhammad Abu Teir and Fawzi Abu Salah, the nephew of former prisoner Jaafar Abu Salah, released from occupation prisons on June 17.

Abu Salah, 23, was seized in the town of Arraba, near Jenin, by what Israeli army described as a “special force.” Three computers were taken from his home in the violent raid. Ma’an reported that Israeli troops also stormed home of Fawzi’s uncle, Jaafar Abu Salah, who was released from Israeli prisons on June 17. He is also a senior leader within the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He was interrogated in his own home for an hour.

Local sources in Doura town, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, have reported that the army kidnapped at least two Palestinians after breaking into their homes, and that one of them has been identified as Mousa Daraweesh.

Dozens of soldiers also invaded the Al-Jalazoun refugee camp, in the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and kidnapped four Palestinians identified as Talha Mustafa, 26, Abdul-Rahim Ghanem, 26, Shihada Dar Khalil, 23, and Ziad Al-Jamzawy, 26.

Army also invaded Al-Janiya village, west of Ramallah, and kidnapped Omran Mathloum, former leader of the Islamic Bloc at the Birzeit University.

Furthermore, soldiers invaded Awarta village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and kidnapped four Palestinians; three of them have been identified as Sami Rafat, Monadel Awwad and Morad Al-Qady. They also raided the homes of Falah Qawariq, Khalid al-Qadi, Mahmoud Abu Zeid, Ahmad Sharab, Rifaat Abdat, and Talal Awwad, and launched a series of raids in Beit Furik, near Nablus. Dozens of Israeli military jeeps also invaded Nablus, especially areas east of the city, fired concussion grenades, and gas bombs, and violently broke into homes causing damage.

Dozens of Israeli military jeeps also invaded Nablus, especially areas east of the city, fired concussion grenades, and gas bombs, and violently broke into homes causing damage.

In the Bethlehem district, soldiers invaded Beit Fajjar and the al-Khader towns, and handed two residents military warrants ordering them to head to the Etzion military and security base for interrogation.

Local sources have reported that the dozens of soldiers broke into the home of Sobhi Thawabta, and handed his son, Fadi, 21, an order to head to the Etzion base for interrogation. They also handed a similar order to Aws Majed Thawabta, 24, after breaking into his home.

Furthermore, resident Bilal Mahmoud Al-Wahsh, 19, from Al-Kader town, near Bethlehem, was stopped at roadblock #300, and was handed an order to head to Etzion base for interrogation. It is worth mentioning that three of his brothers are currently imprisoned by Israel.

Earlier on Tuesday, the army invaded the home of legislator Mohammad Abu Teir, in Kufur Aqeb village, near Jerusalem, and kidnapped him. Abu Teir was repeatedly kidnapped by Israel, and spent decades.

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