Saidi moved out of solitary confinement; Abu Khudeir promised release on Sunday

20 July 2013

Palestinian prisoner Awadallah al-Saidi, who had undertaken a hunger strike for 15 days in protest of his solitary confinement, from June 20 to July 5, was moved to Hadarim prison and out of isolation, reported the Ahrar Centre for Prisoners on July 20.

Saidi, who has been imprisoned since December 2, 2004, had been held in solitary confinement since March 2012.

Eyad Abu Khudeir, who has been on hunger strike since June 17, suspended his hunger strike on July 20, said the Wa’ad Association for Prisoners. Abu Khudeir’s prison sentence was completed on April 12 of this year, but he has not been released. He had been living in the Gaza Strip since 1999, where he is married and has three children, but was denied official family reunification status by the Israeli occupation. He carried a Jordanian nationality and is Palestinian. After his arrest on April 12, 2005, he was stripped of Jordanian nationality, rendering him without status. Wa’ad announced that Abu Khudeir will be released, over three months after the completion of his sentence, on Sunday, July 21.

16-year-old Palestinian youth sentenced to 15 months in occupation prisons

20 July 2013

The Palestine Information Centre reported that an Israeli district court has sentenced a Palestinian minor Mohammed Raed Siam, 16-year-old, to 15 months imprisonment and 6 months suspended sentence for 3 years.

Mohammed was arrested on January 1, 2013 where he spent 20 days in Maskubiya interrogation center. Under severe torture and huge stress and threats, he admitted that he had thrown stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli settlements, his father told Silwan center.

The father underlined that the Israeli public prosecutor refused the medical committee’s recommendation to release his son in light of his difficult psychological status due to the interrogation process.

Mohamed’s lawyer has demanded his release during Thursday’s session after his detention in Hasharon prison led to the disruption of his schooling.

A new article by Brad Parker on the detention of Palestinian children and youth is available at 972 magazine: http://972mag.com/justice-denied-prolonged-occupation-and-palestinian-child-detainees/76094/

Palestinian prisoner abducted from Egypt charged by Israeli military court

20 July 2013

The Palestine Information Centre reported that Israeli security services presented to the District Court in Beersheba on Friday morning, July 19, an indictment against the prisoner Wael Hassan Abu Rida, 35, from Gaza, who was abducted from Egypt in mid-June.

In the indictment, Israeli forces accuse Abu Rida of involvement with the armed wings of Fateh and Islamic Jihad, and also Hamas. Israeli security services accused Abu Rida of carrying out many operations against the occupation since 2003, including shooting at Israeli tanks, planting an explosive device near the security fence in Gaza, training about 40 Palestinian militants, and planning to kidnap Israeli soldiers.

The detainee was also accused of planting and bombing an explosive device weighing 10 kilograms in 2006, planning to dig a tunnel from the Gaza Strip to carry out operations against Israeli soldiers, and being involved in an attempt to launch a missile.

Abu Rida’s lawyer said that these allegations are gained from torture and unreliable. Abu Rida disappeared from Egypt, where he was traveling for medical treatment, in June. His wife, Amani, reported his disappearance after she was informed that he was now in Israeli custody. Abu Rida was in the Sinai of Egypt when he was abducted by Israeli agents.

Ala’a Jubeh wins freedom from occupation prisons

18 July 2013

Addameer reported that on Wednesday, July 17, 2013, Palestinian political Ala’a Ju’beh’s release from occupation prisons was won by Addameer lawyer Jeanne-Aouda Zbeidat in a military court hearing.

Ju’beh, who is 19, was arrested on December 7, 2011, at age 17, at the Tel Rumeida checkpoint in Al-Khalil (Hebron). She was accused of attacking a soldier at the checkpoint and sentenced to 27 months imprisonment; the Addameer lawyer won her release in a court deal reducing her sentence by one-third. Ju’beh served 19 months of her sentence.

Addameer noted, “It should be noted that such a deal is systematically refused in the military courts. One such case is that of detainee Salwa Hassan (51 years) who was arrested at the Atsyon military checkpoint on 19 October 2011. Salwa was sentenced to 21 months in imprisonment and 2 years of probation, with a fine of 3000 ILS. Two weeks before the end of her sentence the court refused to grant her release, and she was not released until 13 June 2013 after she served her full sentence.”

Freed prisoner Ala'a Ju'beh with former prisoner Woroud Qasem, July 18, 2013 — Freed prisoner Ala’a Ju’beh with former prisoner Woroud Qasem, July 18, 2013

July 27, San Francisco: AROC presents Prisoners and Ramadan: Value of Dignity over Hunger

17 July 2013

Saturday, July 27, 2013
7:00pm until 9:00pm

Eric Quezada Centre for Culture and Politics, 518 Valencia, San Francisco, CA
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/415235475263625/

Arab Resource and Organizing Center Iftar & Discussion w/Adam Hudson on
Hunger Strikes in Guantanamo.

Adam is a freelance journalist who just returned from a 2-week trip to Guantanamo Bay.

AROC members will also draw the connections between the current hunger strikes in Pelican Bay and Palestine.

Adam Hudson’s Guantanamo Reporting: http://adamhudson.org/2013/07/01/reporting-from-guantanamo-june-10-june-22/

July 22, New York: Benefit Show to Free the Hares Boys

17 July 2013

Monday, July 22, 2013
6 pm – 2 am
698 Flushing, Brooklyn, NY

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/500890529987909/

Five Palestinian teenagers are facing life imprisonment for a crime that never happened. Come to 698 Flushing for a night of music to raise money for their legal fund. Learn more about the Hares Boys.

Performers include:

Scientific Soul Sessions

Lilth Velkor
http://lilithvelkor.bandcamp.com/

Music was my first gay lover
http://lior.bandcamp.com/album/music-was-my-first-gay-lover

Feral Foster
https://myspace.com/rootsnruckusferal/music/songs

Scryil
http://www.sciryl.com/

Feral Cat (9:30-10)
http://feralscat.bandcamp.com/

GioSafari
http://giosafari.bandcamp.com/

Shomi Noise
http://soundcloud.com/shominoise

For more information about the Hares boys case go to:
http://haresboys.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FreeTheHaresBoys

London, July 22: Protest G4S Complicity – Free the Hares Boys

17 July 2013

Please join Inminds and the Palestinian Prisoners Campaign on Monday 22nd July (3 days before their next hearing) to demand the immediate and unconditional release of all the children and to hold G4S to account for its complicity in Israel’s crimes, particularly in the torture of Palestinian children.

Monday 22nd July 2013
5:00-6:30pm @ G4S HQ
Southside Building,
105 Victoria Street,
London SW1E 6QT
Closest tube station : Victoria

https://www.facebook.com/events/532332650173070/

About the Hares Boys: On 14th March 2013 in what appears to have been a car accident when a illegal settler car crashed in to the back of an Israeli truck which had stopped due to a flat tire resulting in four people being hurt, was later at the behest of angry settlers presented as an attack by Palestinian stone throwing youth.

VIDEO: Parents of one of the Hares Boys, Ali Shamlawi describing the torture their son suffered at the hands of Israeli interrogators at Al Jalame – Israel’s G4S secured children’s dungeon.

Over the next few days over 50 masked Israeli soldiers stormed the local village of Hares in the early hours of the morning and in waves of violent arrests kidnapped the children of the village. In total 19 children were taken to the infamous G4S secured children’s dungeon at Al Jalame where they were violently tortured and locked up in solitary confinement for up to 2 weeks in windowless 1m by 2m cells with no mattress. To coerce confessions from the boys sexual threats were made against the female members of their families.

After extracting confessions under torture, five of the Hares boys were charged with 25 counts of attempted murder even though there were only four people in the car. Apparently the military court had decided that 25 stones were thrown, each with an “intent to kill”. The five boys – Ali Shamlawi, Mohammed Kleib, Mohammed Suleiman, Tamer Souf, and Ammar Souf are currently locked up in another G4S secured facility – Megiddo prison where G4S provides the entire central command room.

The next court hearing is on 25th July. A study conducted by the Israeli NGO ‘No Legal Frontiers’ over a 12 month period concluded that 100% of Palestinian children brought before the Military court are convicted. If the five boys are convicted they will be locked up for 25+ years – five young lives ruined with no evidence of a crime let alone their guilt.

Live updates during protest

We will, inshAllah, be tweeting live (hash tag #FreeHaresBoys ) 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
Tweets by InmindsCom

Further Information

Hares Boys website: http://haresboys.wordpress.com

Sireen Khudiri Sawafteh released from occupation prisons

17 July 2013

Palestinian teacher and activist Sireen Khudiri Sawafteh, 25, was released from Israeli occupation prisons on Monday, July 15, 2013, following two months’ imprisonment. She was released with a fine of 7000 NIS that is also serving as bail, but is prohibited from accessing the internet or leaving her home until another court hearing in her case on September 16.

She was arrested on May 15 as she returned to her home city of Tubas from university. She was held in Jalame detention centre for interrogation for 22 days before transfer first to Ashkelon and then to Hasharon prison with her fellow women political prisoners.

She said, following her release, that those who work on the prisoners’ cause should focus on Hasharon prison, as conditions are very bad, and medical neglect and mistreatment is common. She also urged support for Tahrir Mansour at her court hearing on August 28.

Facebook page for Sireen Khudiri Sawafteh campaign

There are now 13 women prisoners in occupation prisons: Alaa al-Ju’bah, Alaa Abu Zaytoun, Ayat Mahfouz, Enaam AbdelJabar Hasanat, Hiba Budair, Inaam Qanambou, Intisar al-Sayyad, Lina Jarbouni, Mona Qaadan, Naheel Abu Aisha, Nawal al-Saadi, Tahrir al-Qinni Mansour, and Dunya Wakid.

Abdullah Barghouthi suffering liver disease as Jordanian strike continues for 77 days

17 July 2013

Abdullah Barghouthi is now suffering from atrophy of the liver as a result of his inability to burn body fat, reported Palestinian lawyer Hanan al-Khatib. Barghouti, and four other Palestinian prisoners holding Jordanian citizenship, Mohammad Rimawi, Muneer Mar’i, Alaa Hammad and Hamza Othman al-Dabbas, have been on hunger strike for 77 days.

Barghouthi is being held in Afula hospital, while the other four strikers are now being held in a psychiatric ward at Ramleh prison clinic. He has suffered inflammation of the heart and liver over the past week and has fainted on several occasions. Khatib said that a prison medical committee is threatening to force feed Barghouthi.

Please click here to take action to support the demands of Barghouthi and his fellow hunger strikers.

Prisoners protest medical mistreatment and neglect in Israeli prisons

17 July 2013

The Palestinian Information Centre reported on the statement of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, holding the Israeli prison authority fully responsible for what happened to Palestinian prisoner Mohamed Ghawadreh who lost his eyesight partially after he received incorrect medical treatment in the infirmary of Hadarim jail.

The society stated on July 16 that Ghawadreh was suffering from severe pains in his teeth, but an Israeli doctor in Hadarim jail deliberately injected him with an incorrect drug, which to date has caused him to lose 80 percent of his vision in one eye and 30 percent in the other.

It affirmed that his family is prevented from visiting him in jail and appealed to the Red Cross to pressure the Israeli prison authority in this regard in order for the prisoner to see his family.

The prisoner society also called for forming a neutral medical and human rights committee to investigate the incident that led the prisoner to lose his vision partially.

At the same time, on July 17, Palestinian lawyer Hanan al-Khatib reported that prisoners in Ramle prison clinic refused meals and medications to protest ongoing medical negligence and mistreatment.

Riad Amour, a representative of the ill prisoners, said that prison authorities have threatened the prisoners with a loss of family visits and further penalties for their strike. He reported that the patients are seen by a doctor only once weekly, despite their serious conditions, and are denied important medical treatment, including for inflammation after amputations, shrapnel injuries, and tumors.

Live updates during protest

Further Information

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