High Follow-Up Committee expresses solidarity with Kana’aneh as strike continues

1 November 2012

The High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel in Palestine ’48 expressed its solidarity with its member, Mohammed Kana’aneh of the Abnaa el-Balad Movement, imprisoned in Shatta prison and currently in an open hunger strike for over 1 week to struggle for dignity, human rights and to protest the fascist practices of the prison administration.

The committee denounced the prison administration’s targeting of Kana’aneh, including placing him with Israeli criminal prisoners while at the same time placing on him all of the restrictions of a ‘security’ prisoner, and refusing to transfer him to Gilboa prison with other Palestinian political prisoners.

The prison administration has escalated its retaliatory actions against Kana’aneh during his hunger strike, confiscating the contents of his cell and denying him visits.

The committee called for a protest in front of the priosn in solidarity with Mohammed Kana’aneh and with the other brave prisoners who have engaged in hunger strikes, including the ongoing strikes of Ayman Sharawna and Samer al-Issawi.

He is currently imprisoned for 15 months for organizing in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights to comemmorate the Naksah on June 5, 2011. He was held in Tzalmon Prison since April; in October he was transferred to Shata prison, where he is being housed with criminal Israeli prisoners rather than with Palestinian political prisoners. Kana’aneh said that the prison administration deals with him as a ‘security prisoner’ when denying him the rights accorded to criminal prisoners, but houses him with criminal prisoners rather than other ‘security prisoners’.

Kana’aneh has served many years in Israeli jails and sees this treatment as deliberate retaliation for his political activity. The Abna’a el-Balad Movement stated that “we recognize that the inhumane practices and restrictions against Comrade Mohammed Kana’aneh come as part of the practice of political persecution by state institutions against him and members of the Abnaa el-Balad movement in particular, and against all of the political leaders and activists of the masses of our people. We demand an end to these practices and the achievement of Kana’aneh’s just and basic demands, and we call upon the leadership of our people to take the necessary steps to struggle to achieve those demands.”

Video: Press conference and rallies across US call for freedom for Holy Land Five

29 October 2012

On October 25, rallies across the US were held to support the Holy Land Five, Palestinian political prisoners in US jails, imprisoned and sentenced to up to 65 years in prison on the basis of anonymous testimony from an Israeli agent (given the pseudonym “Avi”) that their charity work served as “material support” to Hamas, even though the funds raised were never sent to any political party, organization, or entity designated by the US as a so-called “Foreign Terrorist Organization.” Indeed, USAID, the US government’s official development agency, has funded the same zakat or charity committees both before and after the indictment of the Holy Land Five. Please see the following articles for more detail on the case of the Holy Land Five:

“Let us not be brought down”: Last Legal recourse for the Holy Land Five by Noor Elashi
As Holy Land Five appeal begins, Palestinians in Gaza praise charity closed by Bush by Joe Catron

Rallies were held in Tampa and Chicago, and a number of other cities. In New York, Noor Elashi, daughter of Holy Land political prisoner Ghassan Elashi, joined the Center for Constitutional Rights to call for justice for the Holy Land Five as the US Supreme Court decides whether or not to hear their appeal.

See video below. Full report: http://www.sparrowmedia.net/2012/10/holy-land-foundation-appeal-noor-elashi-michael-ratner/

Press Conference with Noor Elashi & Michael Ratner on Eve of Supreme Court Rule on Holy Land Foundation from Sparrow Media on Vimeo.

Al-Akhbar: Paris continues to extort Georges Ibrahim Abdallah

29 October 2012

The following article on the case of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah was published in Al-Akhbar English on October 25, 2012:

By: Othman Tazghart

Published Thursday, October 25, 2012

Wednesday afternoon, a large crowd gathered outside Lannemezan prison in the southwest of France. They were commemorating the 28th anniversary of the arrest of the longest held Arab prisoner of conscience in France, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah.

One day earlier, Abdallah’s lawyer, Jacques Vergès, had stood facing the court, for the eighth time in nine years, to request the enactment of the decision of the regional court of parole authorizing his release in October 2003.

During that time, the French government managed to block the decision to free Abdallah using several bureaucratic pretexts.

The protest outside his prison saw Vergès leading around 200 people, mainly consisting of human rights and leftist activists, in addition to members of the International Solidarity Committee for Georges Ibrahim Abdallah.

The cheers and chants from his supporters sounded loud enough to reach him inside his cell. They called for his release and supported his perseverance in the face of the extortion practiced by the French courts.

French authorities are demanding that Abdallah apologize, express regret, and repudiate his revolutionary ideas and actions, in order to implement his legal parole. He was accused of participating in commando operations carried out by the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions, though the court had no concrete evidence against him.

The demonstrators repeated slogans condemning the bias of French courts and chanted, “28 years of jail, 28 years of resistance,” in an attempt to lift his spirits.

As for the hearing held almost 24 hours earlier, Vergès explained that it was postponed for one month and will be held on November 21.

Despite a change in the tone of French authorities in relation to Abdallah’s case, the lawyer said he was not optimistic.

“The public prosecutor would not give up on the logic of extortion and kept demanding an apology from Abdallah and an expression of remorse for his acts,” Vergès added.

He explained that “the condition of expression of remorse only applies to crimes against the public interest. But Georges Ibrahim Abdallah is a prisoner of conscience. He was arrested because he was a communist and an international revolutionary struggling for the Palestinian cause.”

“Demanding that he repudiates his revolutionary convictions is a form of extortion and excess from the French judiciary,” he continued.

“Abdallah categorically refuses to kneel in front of his jailers. Although we know very well that his refusal to yield is the only reason why he remains in prison,” the lawyer told the protesters.

Abdallah was arrested on 24 October 1984 and was given a life sentence in a controversial hearing, which was considered a stain on the French legal system.

The trial suffered from numerous flaws, beginning with using some of Abdallah’s lawyers to spy on him. Evidence against him was also fabricated retroactively by French, US and Israeli intelligence.

These facts were confirmed by the former chief of French intelligence, Ives Bonnet, late last year. “We acted like bullies in the Abdallah case. It is time put an end to the great injustice we put him through,” he said, describing the actions of French authorities.

France has kept Abdallah in custody for 28 years despite the fact that prisoners are legally allowed to ask for release on bail after spending 15 years in prison. French law also limits the maximum sentence of any prisoner to 18 years.

Abdallah first applied to be released on bail in 1999, but the court rejected his plea. Other rejections followed, despite the decision to release him by the regional court of parole on 24 October 2003, after spending the maximum term of 18 years.

The French Ministry of Justice, under pressure from the US, has been the main obstacle. US president Barack Obama, for example, recently vetoed Abdallah’s release.

Obama informed French authorities last April that his administration categorically rejects letting Abdallah out of prison.

The US veto followed French promises made to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati during his visit to Paris last February that they will take a more lenient approach toward the case.

Photos: Hassan Safadi free in Nablus

29 October 2012

Hassan Safadi returned to Nablus today after winning his freedom after a total of 168 days on hunger strike. Safadi had been held under administrative detention, without charge or trial, and had launched his hunger strike with other administrative detainees demanding their freedom in March 2012, ending with the agreement of May 2012 that concluded the mass Karameh hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners.

This agreement purported to ensure that the long-term hunger strikers’ administrative detention would not be renewed; however, Safadi’s was shortly thereafter renewed, and he resumed his lengthy hunger strike; his first hunger strike ran for 73 days and his second for 95. He ended his hunger strike in an agreement to release him at the end of a four month administrative detention renewal period, on Monday, Oct. 29.

Safadi was released today, October 29, in Nablus, to the delight of his family and a large welcome:

Former prisoner Woroud Qasem joins in the celebration

Hassan Safadi with fellow former prisoners and hunger strikers Khader Adnan and Bilal Diab

Hassan Safadi scheduled for Monday release

28 October 2012

The Palestinian Prisoners Society announced that Monday, October 29 is the scheduled release date for long term hunger striker and Palestinian political prisoner Hassan Safadi of Nablus. Safadi launched a 73-day hunger strike to demand his freedom from administrative detention. Despite the agreement in the May 15, 2012 prisoners’ agreement with the Israeli prison services that the long term hunger strikers on administrative detention would not have their sentences renewed, Safadi’s sentence was renewed – and he resumed his strike for an additional 95 days. His strike ended after an Israeli concession to release him on October 29 and not renew his administrative detention or place him under administrative detention again through re-arrest. The Prisoners’ Society invited all to welcome Hassan Safadi back to his home.

Hamdouna: On Eid, remember the hunger striking prisoners

27 October 2012

Rafaat Hamdouna, liberated former prisoner and director of the Centre for Prisoners Studies called upon Palestinian national forces to mark the occasion of Eid al-Adha remembering the prisoners on hunger strike. The coming of Eid is for prisoner Ayman Sharawna the occasion of his 117th day on hunger strike, and for Samer Issawi, coincides with his 87th day of hunger strike.

He called on the National and Islamic forces, all human rights organizations, and all Palestinian political forces to dedicate themselves seriously and responsibly with this issue to find solutions and ensure the victory of these heroic prisoners in their battle of empty stomachs. Hamdouna added that the lives of these prisoners are in grave danger and this Eid marks a sensitive and critical moment in their battle and must be met with serious effort equal to their sacrifice at the popular and official level. He called upon the broadcast and print media to publicize their strugge, saying that one of the most important ways to support the prisoners in their defiance of the Israeli prison management and its arrogant policies toward them is to publicize the issue of suffering families of prisoners and the striking prisoners on the occasion of the holiday.

Hamdouna called upon Palestinian, Arab and international television and radio, newspapers, magazines and websites, and Facebook and Twitter users, to salute the holiday by saluting the prisoners struggling on this day.

London protest Oct. 28 in solidarity with imprisoned Palestinian MPs

27 October 2012

Alert – Protest in Solidarity with imprisoned Palestinian MPs
http://www.inminds.com/article.php?id=10569

Join us on Sunday 28th October 2012 at 2pm outside Parliament to protest in solidarity with imprisoned Palestinian MPs and Ministers.

Targeting Palestinian lawmakers

Israel has always targeted Palestinian democracy understanding that the Palestinian people, unlike their installed stooges, will never capitulate to the occupation of their land and demand their right of return. So when Hamas won the elections in 2006 with 70 MPs in the 132 seat parliament, Israel reacted with mass arrests and imprisonment of Palestinian MPs. As recently as 2009 nearly a third of the Palestinian Parliament was languishing in Israeli prisons and today there are still 13 imprisoned Palestinian MPs and Israel is busy abducting more.

At dawn on 15th July 2012 Israeli soldiers smashed in to the home of Palestinian MP Ahmad Abdul-Aziz Mubarak in Ramallah and kidnapped him. They ransacked his family home, shackling and blindfolding him before taking him to an unknown destination. He is being held in an Israeli dungeon indefinitely, without any charge or trail. This is not the first time Ahmad Mubarak has been kidnapped by Israeli soldiers, the last time was in 2006 when they kept him caged for 4 years. Ahmad Mubarak is just one of the MPs who’s plight we will highlight outside the British Parliament. Come and join us to voice your support for imprisoned Palestinian parliamentarians.

* we would especially like to thank the Ahrar Center for the Study of prisoners and human rights in Palestine (www.ahrar.ps), without their assistance in research, this protest could not have been possible.

Hunger Strikers: Ayman Sharawna & Samer Al-Issawi

We will also be protesting in solidarity with Palestinian hunger strikers. On 28th October Ayman Sharawna will be on his 120th day without food whilst Samer Al-Issawi will be on his 89 days of hunger strike.

Latest news indicates that Ayman Sharawna has of today (24 October) stopped drinking water. A lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) managed to visit Ayman Sharawna yesterday (23 October) at the Ramla Prison Clinic; Ayman told him that he refuses to be exiled in exchange for his release, and will continue his strike “until freedom or death”.

He added that the Prison Administration keeps moving him from one room to another, and completely isolated him from the rest of the detainees, in an attempt to prevent him from getting the needed rest, and to deprive him from communicating with other detainees.

“Officers of the Prison Administration held several meetings with me, and proposed deporting me or placing me under Administrative Detention without trial”, Sharawna stated, “I will never accept to be deported or imprisoned without charges, I will continue my strike”.

Sharawna’s health is seriously deteriorating, he repeatedly loses consciousness, and faces repeated sharp migraines, headaches, and is gradually losing his memory.

Human Rights Defender Ayman Nasser abducted to torture den

On Sunday we will also be demanding the immediate release of Ayman Nasser, a human rights defender working for Addameer the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Father of four, Ayman Nasser was abducted from his home last week when Israeli soldiers raided his home with dogs. He is currently being interrogated at the notorious Moskobiyyeh detention centre infamous for torture. He has not been charged with anything other than defending the rights of Palestinian prisoners.
Facebook – Live Feed

Inminds has finally joined social media with a simple facebook page:

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

The idea is that we will use it for ‘live feeds’ during protests and other events – quick & dirty photos taken from a mobile phone uploaded during the protest for up to date feedback. This will not replace the detailed photo reports which we usually published a week after the event. We ask people to please share the feeds – tweet, fb, etc. as they come in during the protest, thank you.

Mohammed Kana’aneh announces open hunger strike

27 October 2012

Mohammed Kana’aneh (Abu Assad) of the Abnaa el-Balad Movement in Occupied Palestine ’48 launched a hunger strike in Shatta prison on Tuesday, October 23, demanding his human rights and an end to the poor treatment of prisoners by the prison administration. Kana’aneh is refusing all food and drink, except for water. He stated that the hunger strike is the only weapon Palestinian prisoners possess to struggle for their rights.

He is currently imprisoned for 15 months for organizing in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights to comemmorate the Naksah on June 5, 2011. He was held in Tzalmon Prison since April; in October he was transferred to Shata prison, where he is being housed with criminal Israeli prisoners rather than with Palestinian political prisoners. Kana’aneh said that the prison administration deals with him as a ‘security prisoner’ when denying him the rights accorded to criminal prisoners, but houses him with criminal prisoners rather than other ‘security prisoners’.

Kana’aneh has served many years in Israeli jails and sees this treatment as deliberate retaliation for his political activity. The Abna’a el-Balad Movement stated that “we recognize that the inhumane practices and restrictions against Comrade Mohammed Kana’aneh come as part of the practice of political persecution by state institutions against him and members of the Abnaa el-Balad movement in particular, and against all of the political leaders and activists of the masses of our people. We demand an end to these practices and the achievement of Kana’aneh’s just and basic demands, and we call upon the leadership of our people to take the necessary steps to struggle to achieve those demands.”

PIC: Detainee Anas Hashlamoun launches hunger strike in PA’s jails

27 October 2012

Reported by the Palestine Information Centre:

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)– A political prisoner announced entering a hunger strike in the jails of PA security services, which in turn continued for the fortieth day detaining a Hamas leader in Ramallah.

Anas Hashlamoun, political prisoner held in the prisons of the General Intelligence in al-Khalil, announced launching a hunger strike in protest at the continuation of his detention, despite the release of three resolutions to free him.

For its part, the Preventive Security Service has been extending for three times respectively the detention of Hamas leader and liberated captive Faraj Rummana, his family said.

Rummana’s family added that its son who had been arrested since 40 days is still under interrogation and is being held in solitary confinement in the interrogation section.

The preventive apparatus had arrested Rummana with hundreds of others – on 18 September – during the extensive arrest campaign waged by the security services against Hamas activists and cadres in all the cities of the occupied West Bank.

Meanwhile, the Magistrate’s Court, in the city of Nablus, extended for 15 additional days the detention of seven political prisoners affiliated with the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, in the occupied West Bank, and postponed ruling on the files of four detained students from Al-Najah National University.

National Lawyers Guild calls for release of Ayman Nasser

26 October 2012

The National Lawyers Guild International Committee and Free Palestine Subcommittee sent two letters, to the US State Department and Israeli officials, calling for the immediate release of imprisoned Palestinian human rights defender Ayman Nasser.
Nasser is a staff researcher at the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.

On October 15, Nasser was arrested and has been held in detention since that time. He has been questioned about his human rights advocacy with Addameer, and with the Handala Centre, an arts and cultural centre in his hometown of Saffa.

This is not the first incident of persecution of Addameer staff and board members; Abdullatif Ghaith, the chair of the board of Addameer, is currently subject to a travel ban, and Addameer lawyers are regularly denied visits with their clients, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Human Rights Watch has also criticized Nasser’s detention and the harassment/persecution of Addameer (http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/10/26/israel-end-arbitrary-restrictions-rights-group-officials) , and there is an action alert for individuals to sign on against Nasser’s detention at Samidoun (http://samidoun.net/2012/10/action-alert-free-human-rights-defender-ayman-nasser/).

Addameer has a profile of Nasser and updates at their site,http://addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=526. Addameer’s profile of Nasser was sent to the recipients with the letters.

The National Lawyers Guild is the US’ oldest and largest human rights/public interest bar association, with chapters in every state.

Letter to Israeli officials re Ayman Nasser, Palestinian human rights defender (PDF download)

Letter to US State Dept re Ayman Nasser, Palestinian Human Rights defender (PDF download)

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