OPEN-ENDED HUNGER STRIKE LAUNCHED AT BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY **Students call for messages of support **Photos and Video Footage available at http://www.birzeit.edu/bzunews/7.html Birzeit, December 7 1998. Today, Birzeit University students launched an open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners. Students from all political factions erected 2 tents in the university in which the hunger strikers will stay until their demand of freedom for the political prisoners is met Over 2000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails launched a hunger strike on Saturday in demand for their freedom. The Birzeit University Student Council has launched a solidarity action with the prisoners which they say will not end until the prisoners have won freedom. Over 30 students will begin the hunger strike tonight with many more expected to join in the coming days. A student leader told Birzeit news, "This is a supportive activity to the hunger strike by prisoners. It differs from a usual hunger strike in that this case is not about conditions in the prison but about the demand of freedom. We hope to create pressure locally and internationally, express the issue and make the world acknowledge it. We want to create a sympathetic feeling on the street with the prisoners." Forty-one Birzeit University students are currently in Israeli jails and a large percentage of students have been imprisoned at some time during their studies. One of the hunger strikers who spent over a year in jail told Birzeit News, "A hunger strike is very significant. In prison everything is controlled by the Prison Administration. The only thing you can prove you are in control of is your will. A hunger strike gives a message to the outside world that the choice is between freedom or death." Palestinian prisoners are often subject to torture during their detention including sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, hooding with a filthy sack, position abuse such as being tied in painful positions for long periods and violent shaking. Israel is the only country in the world which has legalized the use of torture against prisoners. In addition, some prisoners are kept in Administrative Detention where they are held for indefinite periods without charge or trial. Currently two Birzeit students are held in Administrative Detention and one of these was transferred to interrogation last week. The Birzeit hunger strikers have made a call for message of support and solidarity. Messages can be sent to the students at [EMAIL PROTECTED] In addition a special website will be launched tomorrow with further information about prisoners and regular updates from the tent. Photographs and Real Video interviews in Arabic and English with student leaders is available at http://www.birzeit.edu/bzunews/dec/7.html [ends] ________________________________________ The Human Rights Action Project was established at Birzeit University in 1977 to monitor the growing human rights violations against Birzeit students and staff by the Israeli military authorities. Birzeit University is an independent Palestinian university 24 kilometers north of Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Human Rights Action Project (HRAP) Public Relations Office Birzeit University P.O. Box 14, Birzeit West Bank via Israel Tel: +972-2-298-2059 Fax: +972-2-295-7656 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: http://www.birzeit.edu/hrap KEEP INFORMED VIA E-MAIL! There are three e-mail information lists available at Birzeit: 1) General news, press releases and announcements about the university. E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] to be added. 2) Birzeit Website Announcements - news about what's new on Birzeit's website and developments in the Palestinian Web community. E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] to be added. Information about the human rights situation at the university - Website: http://www.birzeit.edu/hrap/ E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Apologies if you have received this message more than once. We are currently updated our distribution lists. If you have received this message in duplicate, please let us know at [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you wish to be removed from this mailing list, send a message with 'unsubscribe' in the text area to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***** "Messages sent on the IWW-news mailing list are the opinions of the individual senders; they do not necessarily represent the views of the IWW. IWW-news is for posting information which is relevant to the struggle of the working class against our bosses. Visit http://www.iww.org/ for more information." 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