[VTJP] Fwd: Holy Land Trust - appeal for the hunger strikers

[Nancy Farrell]

Note: forwarded message attached.


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URGENT APPEAL FOR ACTION

 

Today the Palestinian political prisoners complete their 13th day of a water-only hunger strike in protest of inhumane and illegal conditions within Israeli prisons. More than 3,500 prisoners have joined the strike protesting conditions that are contrary to both international as well as Israel's own military law. If no resolution to end these conditions is reached, another 4,000 prisoners are expected to join the strike in the upcoming days, including women, children and prisoners with serious health concerns. For the past two weeks, the Palestinian community has been highly involved in nonviolent activities to support the prisoners� strike for their internationally protected rights. Despite this outcry from civil society, there has been little support from the international community. Israel's official response was expressed on August 13^th by the Israeli Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, who told reporters that the prisoners "can strike for a day, a month, even starve to death, we will not respond to their demands." This approach condemns all Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails to a death sentence.

 

In contrast to this callous Israeli reaction, the prisoners seek only their basic human rights. The prisoners' appeal is not political, rather its aim is to stop the excessively harsh treatment of Palestinian political prisoners and to ensure that the conditions under which they are imprisoned are consistent with international norms of human rights and basic decency.  In their statement entitled �the uprising of the empty stomach� the prisoners demand an end to abusive punishment and life-threatening beatings, ending the humiliating policy of stripping prisoners naked during searches and interrogation, allowing jailed family members to be held at the same prisons, reintegration of the many prisoners held in solitary confinement, permitted family visitation, ability to communicate with families and lawyers, appropriate treatment of prisoners with emergency medical needs, and healthy ventilation of cells. The prisoners also demand that legal documents and prison policies are made available to them in their own Arabic language and that they are treated above all according to the requirements of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

However, the Israeli media and government has misrepresented the hunger strike, using their depiction of political prisoners as terrorists as a pretext for depriving the Palestinian prisoners of their protected rights. This purposeful misrepresentation serves to intimidate the international community from taking action to call for Israel to abide by international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention governing treatment of protected persons.

 

We at Holy Land Trust appeal to our friends around the world to join us in support for Palestinian political prisoners. We ask you to dedicate your prayers and worship services this week, regardless of religious affiliation, to our incarcerated brothers and sisters. Additionally, Palestinian activists are planning multiple protest marches in cities, towns and villages across Palestine on August 30^th, marking the beginning of the third week of without food for the hunger strikers. In support of our efforts here in Palestine, we urge you to hold candlelight vigils in your own towns and cities at 5:00pm your time to support this nonviolence struggle against injustice and occupation.

 

For current historical background on the issue of Palestinian political prisoners under Israeli occupation, please refer to ADDAMEER (arabic for conscience) Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association website (www.addameer.org).

 

Excerpts from Addameer's website:

Since the beginning of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories in 1967, over 650,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel. This forms approximately 20% of the total Palestinian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Considering the fact that the majority of those detained are male, the number of Palestinians detained forms approximately 40% of the total male Palestinian population in the OPT.

As of 15 August 2004, there were approximately 7,500 Palestinian political prisoners being held in Israeli prisons. Over 750 of these are administrative detainees, held without charge or trial for indefinite periods of time. 380 of the political prisoners are aged 18 and under, 78 of whom are 16 years and under. After the age of 14, Palestinian children are tried as adults. There are no juvenile courts and children are often held and serve their sentences in cells with criminal prisoners and are often not separated from adults, illegal under international law. There are 106 Palestinian female political prisoners, 20 of whom are mothers and 2 of whom gave birth in prison, with their children remaining in prison with them. Of the total 7,500 political prisoners, 3,800 are being held in civil prisons, with the remaining political prisoners held in Israeli military detention centers and prison camps.

The arrest and detention of Palestinians living within the OPT is governed by a wide-ranging set of military regulations that govern every aspect of Palestinian civilian life. There are approximately 1,500 military regulations governing the West Bank and over 1,400 governing the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military commander of the region issues military orders, and the issuance of new orders often remains unknown and become apparent when they are implemented, as the military commander may issue new military regulations at any moment.

Israeli prisons and military detention camps are primarily located within the 1948 borders of Israel. There are a total of 5 interrogation centers, 6 detention/holding centers, 3 military detention camps, and about 20 prisons in which Palestinians  from the OPT are held. The location of prisons within Israel and the transfer of detainees to locations within the occupying power's territory are illegal under international law and constitute a war crime. The Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly states that "Protected persons accused of offences shall be detained in the occupied country, and if convicted they shall serve their sentences therein." (Article 47) Most of the Palestinian Prisoners are being held in detention facilities located outside the OPT.

As a result of an arbitrary permit system which governs Palestinians movement within the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, and to and from the 1948 borders of Israel, family visits to detainees are often not possible, extremely infrequent, or impossible. Since the beginning of the current Intifada in September 2000, family visits have been prevented repeatedly and for long periods at a time.

 

 

 Holy Land Trust
  # 529, Manger Street
 Bethlehem - Palestine
 Tel:+972-2-276-5930
 Fax: +972-2-276-5931
 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 www.holylandtrust.org
www.palestinenet.org

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