Ahmad Qatamesh’s administrative detention extended for seventh time

24 August 2013

Palestinian writer Ahmad Qatamesh‘s administrative detention was extended for the seventh time on in an Israeli military court on August 24, 2013. No reasons were given for the extension.

Qatamesh, a Palestinian political writer and university lecturer, was taken from his home by Israeli forces on April 21, 2011. Prior to his current administrative detention, he spent a previous six years, from 1992 until 1998, in administrative detention.

Amnesty International, among many others, has called for his release.

Qatamesh’s lawyer noted that the policy of administrative detention violates international law and is a flagrant violation of basic human rights to know why one is detained and be given the opportunity to defend himself. He demanded an end to the policy of administrative detention.

Article by Ahmad’s daughter Haneen about his arrest: http://electronicintifada.net/content/when-israeli-soldiers-came-arrest-my-father/9901

Addameer profile of Ahmad Qatamesh:
http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=156

1998 interview with Ahmad Qatamesh:

http://www.freearabvoice.org/interviewSeniorAdministrativeDetaineeQatamesh.htm

In 1999, Ahmad Qatamesh was detained by the Palestinian Authority for joining a protest against corruption: http://www.phrmg.org/pressrelease/1999/04dec1999.htm

Write to Ahmad Qatamesh:
Ahmad Qatamesh, Ofer Prison, Givat Zeev, PO Box 3007, via Israel

Leena Jawabreh sentenced to 1 month and 1000 shekel fine

22 August 2013

Leena Jawabreh was sentenced to one month in Israeli prison today and a fine of $1000 shekels for entering Palestine ’48 (Israel) without a permit. Myassar Atyani and Linan Abu Ghoulmeh will have hearings upcoming on Sunday.

To take action on their case, please see our alert: http://samidoun.net/2013/08/action-alert-three-leading-palestinian-women-prisoners-activists-arrested-take-action/

Lawyers, Advocates: Prison Hunger Strike Force Feeding Order Political Attack on Peaceful Protest

22 August 2013

Strikers Vow to Continue, Prisoners Rejoin Strike, Supporters Redouble Efforts

Oakland—As prisoners enter their 46th day of the massive California prison hunger strike, supporters continue to condemn Monday’s controversial court order that authorizes force feeding of strike participants and that disregards their medical wishes. According to lawyers just back from a visit to Pelican Bay, the order has emboldened prisoners to continue their strike, while others have decided to rejoin the strike in response to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) attack.

Attorney Anne Weills met with strikers in Pelican Bay Tuesday and Wednesday. “Although some have lost around 30 pounds and are getting significantly weaker, they are still very sharp intellectually and are still deeply united in their struggle for a life with dignity,” said Weills. “They are very much committed to their demands and are waiting for Governor Brown to send someone to Pelican Bay to negotiate about those demands.”

Weills reported that prisoners were disturbed that the Judge who signed the controversial order, along with the Prison Law Office and the Medical Receiver’s office would align themselves with the CDCR’s political repression of the peaceful protest. Strike supporters are particularly disturbed and outraged that the order against strikers’ advanced medical directives (AMD) adds legal weight to the CDCR’s sensational, and largely unsubstantiated, propaganda that all strike participation is part of a gang conspiracy. “This is an extraordinary political attack on the hunger strikers,” continued Weills. “ It is even more absurd when a spokesperson for the Medical Receiver’s office stated that among the hunger strikers who have been starving since July 8th, there are very few who have any advanced medical directives in the first place. So who is being coerced? There is not one shred of evidence that has been presented to Judge Henderson that anyone has been coerced to sign anything. Where are the declarations of such a person? Where is a declaration from a real hunger striker which states that they are being coerced? Is this a fraud being perpetrated on a federal judge, who trusts the Plata plaintiff’s attorneys? Why was there no evidentiary hearing?”

“This is a continuation of CDCR’s attacks on a nonviolent protest,” said Dolores Canales of the Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition. “We have seen this before. This is about dehumanizing the strikers, delegitimizing their demands, and disrupting the widespread support for the protest coming from the community. But, as always, this will only cause the strikers, their loved ones, and their supports to fight harder.” Amid CDCR’s latest stunts and Gov. Brown’s continued silence, strike supporters are continuing to put pressure on California politicians, demanding action from the state’s Public Safety Committee .

It seems that the CDCR’s plans have backfired as Weills reports prisoners are rejoining the strike. “As a result of recent events and Judge Henderson’s Order, I was told yesterday that more than 50 people in the SHU at Pelican Bay are now going back on hunger strike,” said Weills. “From what I understand, that 50 may turn into 100 very fast, and that many have already been on rolling hunger strikes—going two weeks on, and then two weeks off. This will all continue until an agreement is reached.”

Via http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com

Action Alert: Three leading Palestinian women prisoners’ activists arrested – take action!

19 August 2013

Update: On Thursday, August 22, Leena Jawabreh was sentenced to 30 days (one month) in Israeli prisons, and a 1000 NIS fine. On Sunday, August 25, Linan Abu Ghoulmeh was sentenced to 60 days (two months) in Israeli prisons and a 1000 NIS fine. Myassar Atyani’s case has been held over until Wednesday, August 28.

Riad al-Ashqar of the Prisoners Centre for Studies reported on August 29 that Salem Military Court has extended Myassar Atyani’s detention for a full two weeks. Her next hearing will be on September 11, 2013.

Leena Jawabreh, Linan Abu Ghoulmeh and Myassar Atyani, three Palestinian activists and former prisoners were seized by the Israeli police at 10:00 pm on the evening of August 15 while visiting a friend, former prisoner Woroud Qasem, in the 1948 occupied areas of Palestine. All three are leading campaigners and activists for Palestinian prisoners and are from Nablus district. Their detention was extended at a hearing on August 19. Click here to take action now and pressure for their freedom!

Woroud Qasem, who is from Tira area and holds Israeli citizenship, was released at 2:00 am on Friday and placed under house arrest until a hearing on August 19, her drivers’ license confiscated.

Linan Abu Ghoulmeh is a former political prisoner who was held in Israeli prisons for over five years from 2004 until 2009, when she was released in a prisoner exchange; she was then re-arrested in July 2010, when she was imprisoned until the October 2011 prisoner exchange.

Myassar Atyani, a leading prisoners’ rights activist, was repeatedly subject to arrests in the 1980s and 1990s. She has been one of the leading organizers of campaigns in solidarity with the prisoners, and particularly the hunger strikers. Atyani has spoken internationally on Palestinian prisoners on numerous occasions, including addressing the 2012 U.S. National Lawyers Guild convention via Skype. See one of her interviews: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4jE_R2CMFg

Leena Jawabreh served four years in Israeli prisons until her release on July 16, 2008. She has organized multiple actions and solidarity hunger strikes in support of Palestinian prisoners, in particular women prisoners.

the4 — Leena Jawabreh, Linan Abu Ghoulmeh, Woroud Qasem and Myassar Atyani

All are currently being held in Hasharon prison. A hearing was held on their case on Monday, August 19, in which the detention of Linan Abu Ghoulmeh and Myassar Atyani was extended for 7 days and the detention of Leena Jawabreh was extended for 4 days.

We know these women have many friends, allies and comrades around the world who will rally to support them and demand their freedom. Their detention is clearly an attempt to stop their political work and advocacy for the rights of Palestinian prisoners and the rights of the Palestinian people. They are grassroots leaders and human rights defenders, and beloved members of their community – and of the international community of people of conscience.

Please note that a French call to action has gone out from an organization that organized a sister-city relationship between the French city of Lille and Nablus. While in Nablus, organizers from Lille met with Myassar, Linan and Leena in 2011: http://lillenaplouse.unblog.fr

Please take action today:

1. send the letter below urging the immediate release of Linan Abu Ghoulmeh, Myassar Atyani and Leena Jawabreh.

2. Join a protest or demonstration outside an Israeli consulate for Palestinian prisoners. Join one or announce your own. Organizing an event, action or forum on Palestinian prisoners on your city or campus? Use this form to contact us and we will post the event widely. If you need suggestions, materials or speakers for your event, please contact us at samidoun@samidoun.net.

3. Contact your government officials and demand they put pressure on Israel to free Leena Jawabreh, Linan Abu Ghoulmeh and Myassar Atyani. In Canada, Call the office of John Baird, Foreign Minister, and demand an end to Canadian support for Israel and justice for Palestinian prisoners, at : 613-990-7720; Email: bairdj@parl.gc.ca. In the US, call the office of Elizabeth Jones, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs (1.202.647.7209). Demand that Elizabeth Jones bring this issue urgently to her counterparts in Israel.

Palestinian prisoners are not bargaining chips: Welcome to the released prisoners, struggle until all are free

13 August 2013

Samidoun congratulates the Palestinian people and the prisoners’ families on the release of every prisoner who walks out of the doors of the occupation prisons, and today, the release of 26 veteran prisoners. We did not previously address the announcement that prisoners would be released because Israel has shown, time and again, that it regularly reneges on agreements with Palestinians and particularly with prisoners, and manipulates the issue of the prisoners – the over 5000 hostages behind bars – in an attempt to barter the lives and freedom of the prisoners for Palestinian concessions on land and rights.

The 104 prisoners whose release has been announced, allegedly in stages of 26 prisoners at a time, conditioned upon what Israel has labeled “progress” in the negotiations, are pre-Oslo prisoners, arrested prior to the implementation of the Oslo Declaration of Principles and the establishment of the PA on May 4, 1994. These prisoners have been categorized as “abandoned” by the newly established Palestinian Authority from the time of Oslo’s signing in 1993. These prisoners’ release have been promised on multiple occasions, including in the Sharm el-Sheikh negotiations memorandum of 1999, which noted that “The Government of Israel shall release Palestinian and other prisoners who committed their offences prior to September 13, 1993, and were arrested prior to May 4, 1994.”

The years since Oslo in 1993 have been years of unfulfilled promises, for the prisoners as for Palestinians as a whole. Repeatedly, the release of Palestinian hostages has been held out as a “confidence-building” or “goodwill” measure. However, these same time periods have been characterized by mass arrests, nighttime raids, the wide use of administrative detention without charge or trial, and ongoing mass imprisonment. As Addameer notes, “Indeed, over 23,000 Palestinians have been released since 1993 as “goodwill measures” during various negotiations and peace talks. However, in that same period, at least 86,000 Palestinians have been arrested, including children, women, disabled persons and university students.”

Many of those arrested are former prisoners who were released; the re-arrest of freed prisoners has become a given in any discussion of such releases. The Israeli cabinet (as noted by Addameer) included in its agreement to this release that “The State of Israel reserves the right to take any means necessary against any of the released prisoners if they commit any terrorist and hostile activities as well as returning them to serve the remainder of their sentence, as will be decided by the relevant authorities.” Over 12 prisoners from the prisoner exchange in October 2011 currently are threatened with the re-imposition of their sentences. This phrase means that the prisoners are not released but instead paroled, and can be rearrested at any time at the whim of the occupation. It must be noted that Israeli definitions of hostile activities include participation in demonstrations and marches, “incitement” in speeches and writings, and membership or affiliation with Palestinian political parties.

Israel’s conditioning of the release of the 104 prisoners on the grounds of progress in the negotiations is particularly dangerous. It is clear that the Israeli state considers “progress” to be the building of settlements, expropriation of Palestinian land, and concessions of Palestinian inalienable rights, including the right of return. Palestinian prisoners cannot and will not be used as a bargaining chip on the table of negotiations. They have fought with dignity inside the occupation’s prisons for decades, during which time the so-called “peace process” has accrued no benefits to Palestinian prisoners and indeed, has seen the conditions of confinement deteriorating and under continual pressure to undermine the achievements of the prisoners’ movements over the years.

The heroic Palestinian prisoners will not be used as hostages to silence the Palestinian opposition to negotiations or to broker the concession of inalienable Palestinian rights. Those who marched against the negotiations in Ramallah – and were assaulted and attacked by PA police for challenging those negotiations – include former prisoners and the family members of prisoners and the organizers of countless marches and rallies in support of the hunger strikers and the prisoners’ movement.

Since Oslo, the so-called “peace process” has brought neither peace nor justice to Palestinian prisoners or the Palestinian people as a whole. On the contrary, the struggle of Palestinian prisoners, through hunger strikes, political leadership, and continued dignity, strength and political commitment – has always indicated an alternative path of steadfastness in the face of a relentless occupying power.

Welcome to the released prisoners, heroes of the battle for freedom. We will not rest until every one of your sisters and brothers is free, including the brave hunger strikers, the suffering ill prisoners, and the Palestinian children behind bars.

The names of those released today follow (translations via Addameer)

Fayez Mutaweh Hammad, arrested November 29, 1985, from Gaza, serving a life sentence
Maqdad Ibrahim Ahmad Salah, arrested June 14, 1993, from Nablus, serving a 32-year sentence
Sameer Nayef AbdulGhafar Al-Na’neesh, arrested March 5, 1989, from Nablus, serving a life sentence
Yousef Abdelhameed Yousef Arsheed, arrested March 5, 1993, from Jenin, serving a life sentence
Mustafa Othman Omar Al-Haj, arrested June 20, 1989, from Salfit, serving a life sentence
Salameh Abdallah Salameh Misleh, arrested October 9, 1993, from Gaza, serving a life sentence
Atiyeh Salam Ala Abu Mousa, arrested March 30, 1994, from Gaza, serving a life sentence
Salah Mahmoud Zayid Maqlad, arrested July 14, 1993, from Gaza, serving a life sentence
Mohammad Abd-AlMajeed Mohammad Sawalha, arrested December 2, 1990, from Nablus, serving a life sentence
‘Atef ‘Azat Sh’aban Sha’ath, arrested March 15, 1993, from Gaza, serving 29 years
Yousef Sa’eed Odeh Abdel-Aal, arrested February 20, 1994, from Gaza, serving 22 years
Madhat Fayez Rajeb Burbukh, arrested January 21, 1994, from Gaza, serving a life sentence
Ala Ibrahim Salem Al-Ra’i, arrested April 9, 1994, from Gaza, serving a life sentence
Mohammad Jaber Yousef Nishbet, arrested September 21, 1990, from Gaza, serving 25 years
Sameer Haseen Ghanem Murtaja, arrested October 29, 1993, from Gaza, serving 20 years
Husni Faregh Ahmad Sawalha, arrested December 2, 1990 from Nablus, serving a life sentence
Faraj Salah Abdallah Al-Ramahi, arrested July 14, 1992, from Gaza, serving a life sentence
‘Alaa Aldeen Ahmad Sa’eed Abu-Sitta, arrested January 3, 1994, from Gaza, serving a life sentence
Ayman Taleb Mohammad Abu-Sitta, arrested January 24, 1994, from Gaza, serving a life sentence
Ismat Omar Abd-AlHafeed Mansour, arrested October 29, 1993, from Ramallah, serving 22 years
Khaled Mohammad Ahmad Askara, arrested May 1, 1991, from Bethlehem, serving a life sentence
Nehad Yousef Radwan Jandiyeh, arrested July 14, 1989, from Gaza, serving 25.5 years
Mohammad Mahmoud Awad Hamdiyeh, arrested July 14, 1989, from Gaza, serving 25.5 years
Jameel Abd-AlWahab Jamal Al-Natsheh, arrested December 15, 1992, from Hebron (al-Khalil) serving 21 years
Taher Mohammad Taher Ziyad, arrested February 6, 1993, from Jenin, serving 21 years
Burham Abd-Hammad Sbeih, arrested February 18, 2001, from Jenin, serving a life sentence (note: it is not clear why Burham Sbeih is included in this release, described as of pre-Oslo prisoners)

Recommended resource: Addameer factsheet on negotiations and pre-Oslo prisoners

Reference: Palestinian diaspora statement against negotiations

Jordanian prisoners suspend hunger strike following agreement on family visits after 100 days

11 August 2013

5pris The Palestinian prisoners holding Jordanian citizenship have suspended their hunger strike following concessions from the Israeli prison authorities to allow them regular family visits from their family members in Jordan. This was reported in a press conference held in Amman by family members of the prisoners on August 11, 2013.

The five Jordanian hunger strikers are Abdullah Barghouthi, Mohammad Rimawi, Muneer Mar’i, Hamza Othman al-Dabbas and Alaa Hammad. They have been striking since May 2, 2013, for 100 days.

The first visit will take place on August 27, and will be for four hours, without glass or bars between the prisoners and their family members. After this, the visits will be available on a monthly basis for two family members per prisoner. An agreement has been signed to this effect, which will also apply to fellow Palestinian prisoner Ibrahim Hamed, whose wife is in Jordan. Barghouthi had not seen his family for 13 years; Rimawi has been denied family visits for 5 years.

There are reports that Alaa Hammad is still on open hunger strike and has not suspended his strike as part of this agreement.

Palestinian prisoner Bilal Odeh enters 12th year in occupation prisons

10 August 2013

Bilal Mohammad Mahmoud Odeh, 35, a Palestinian prisoner from Jerusalem, entered his 12th year in occupation prisons on August 8, 2013. He was arrested on August 8, 2001 and sentenced to 18 years in Israeli prisons, on charges of belonging to the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Odeh is currently held in Nafha prison, where he has participated in all collective hunger strikes and events of struggle in the occupation prisons. He received his master’s degree in prison despite the many obstacles to prisoners pursuing their education.

Before his arrest, he was long involved in challenging the occupation, and comes from a family with a long lineage of struggle in the Palestinian movement.

Bilal engaged in a lengthy battle to defend his home from Israeli policies of land confiscation and home demolitions in Jerusalem against Palestinians. In one example, his family was prohibited from building a second story on their home in Jerusalem, denied permits for years by the Israeli occupation. Bilal set about building a second story nonetheless, with materials repeatedly confiscated and concrete additions removed by the occupation authorities. He then proceeded to construct a large wooden and canvas “tent” on the roof of his family home, serving as a “second story.” After a series of battles over the tent, it stood for five years before the family won their permit to build.

Speaking of this event, he said, “I wanted to build the tent, engage in this struggle, because then the conflict with the occupation is that we want to build, and they want to stop us from building. If we don’t build – then the struggle will be over them demolishing our homes.”

Hamdan and Batran suffering severe health deterioration after 105 and 96 days of hunger strike

10 August 2013

Ayman Hamdan and Imad al-Batran, Palestinian prisoners held without charge or trial under administrative detention who have been on hunger strike for 105 and 96 days respectively as of August 10, 2013, are suffering serious deterioration of their health, reported Palestinian lawyer Fadi Obeidat.

Both are held at Assaf Harofe hospital; Hamdan has been on strike since April 28 and detained since August 22, 2012. Obeidat reported that he is suffering low blood pressure, low heart rate, vitamin deficiency and weakening of the heart muscle. Hamdan has been hospitalised since 26 June 2013 and takes water, sugar, salt and vitamins. He lost 22 Kg of his weight, according to Obeidat.

Hamdan told the lawyer that his movement has become difficult and suffers from general weakness, dizziness and head as well as joint aches. He added that despite all this he is determined to continue with his hunger strike until his administrative detention is revoked.

The lawyer also met with Imad al-Batran and noticed serious deterioration in his health. Batran told the lawyer that he suffers from low heart rate (40 per minute) and takes medicine to regulate his heart. He suffers from general weakness, hair loss, insomnia and dryness of the eyes. Batran has been held without charge or trial under administrative detention since November 18, 2011; he has been on hunger strike demanding his release since May 7, 2013, the most recent renewal of his administrative detentin.

A hearing was scheduled for August 8, 2013, on a petition for Batran’s release submitted by his lawyers, which is now being considered by the Supreme Court.

Longest-serving administrative detainee Omar Barghouti released from Israeli prison

10 August 2013

Israel released Omar Barghouti, the currently longest-serving Palestinian administrative detainee on Wednesday, August 7, after 34 months of imprisonment without charges or trial.

Barghouti, age 60, is from the town of Kobar near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

The Ahrar Center for Prisoners’ Studies and Human Rights notes that Barghouti had spent nearly 26 years of his life in Israeli prisons in repeated arrests.

Omar Barghouti’s brother is the former longest-serving Palestinian prisoner, Nael Barghouti, who spent 34 years in occupation jails. Omar is the father of four children; his son Asim is currently serving an 11-year sentence in prison.

Addameer: Mohammad Rimawi brutally attacked by occupation prison guards

10 August 2013

mohammad-rimawi Addameer Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association lawyer Fares Ziad recently visited three of the twelve Palestinian political prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli jails. Ziad confirmed that the health of all three continue to rapidly deteriorate, with one hunger striker savagely beaten by five Israeli soldiers. All three have been on hunger strike for 99 days.

On August 4th, 5th and 6th Ziad visited Mohammad Rimawi in Suroka Hospital in Beer Sheva and confirmed that Rimawi stopped taking vitamins, water and minerals on 4 August. Rimawi is suffering from severe problems in liver and kidney function, general weakness, fatigue and dizziness and is unable to walk without assistance.

On 5 August Mohammad was informed that he would be moved to another section within the hospital. Upon enquiring about the reasons for the proposed move Rimawi had his hands and legs shackled and was then thrown on the ground and savagely beaten by five Israeli soldiers who were guarding him. Ziad confirmed that that the bruises on Rimawi are still clearly visible.

Following the attack Mohammad was moved to another section within the prison and shackled to the bed. He was then visited by an Israeli officer who threatened to force feed him if he continues his strike, while also threatening to move him to isolation in Ramon prison without providing any medical treatment until he dies in his cell. When Rimawi told the officer about the recent attack he was told he didn’t care and that they can treat him with violence and force due to the lack of international attention on his case, particularly from Jordan.

Rimawi subsequently told the head of hospital department where he being held in about the threats he had received from the Israeli officer. The hospital official, who is also a doctor, told Rimawi that as long as he is conscious nobody can force feed him but once he loses consciousness doctors can do whatever it takes to keep him alive, even without Rimawi’s permission.

Mr. Fares also visited Abdullah Barghouthi who is currently being held in Affoulah hospital. He remains in critical condition, and suffers from a number of ailments including problems with his liver, low blood pressure and constant migraines. He is also unable to walk without assistance and is taking only water, salt and mineral supplements. Currently Barghouthi is shackled to a bed by his right hand and his left foot and is guarded by three Israeli soldiers. Like his fellow hunger strike Barghouti has been threatened with force feeding should he fall into a coma.

Fellow hunger striker Ala’ Hammad is also being held in Suroka Hospital in Beer Sheva and was until recently being held in the same room as Mohammad Rimawi. Hammad remains in critical condition. On 5 August Hammad fainted and remained unconscious for five hours, without the guards calling a doctor. After finally receiving treatment Hammad regained consciousness.

All three hunger strikers hold Jordanian citizenship and are demanding to be released from Israeli prisons to serve the remainder of their sentences in Jordan in line with previous agreements between Israel and Jordan. Addameer again calls on the international community to immediately intervene to save the lives of all hunger strikers and pressure Israel to abide by its legal obligations. Addameer condemns the treatment to which hunger strikers are subjected to, particularly the physical abuse and the threats of force feeding which according to the World Medical Association’s Declaration on Malta states ‘is never ethically acceptable’.

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