“Molkho’s” Visit to Occupied Ramallah in Light of the Prisoners Strike

May,13,2012

Occupied Ramallah- Local and international news agencies informed us last night, 12 May, that the Palestinian political establishment met with the representative of the Israeli apartheid regime, Isaac Molkho, in Ramallah to deliver the latter’s response to a previous letter that was sent by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) on 17 April. 

This visit coincides with the ongoing open-ended hunger strike waged by Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons for 27 consecutive days, in a crucial and strategic battle in which the role of the prisoners’ movement in the Palestinian national struggle is restored.  This movement is raising fair demands to guarantee the treatment of political prisoners and detainees according to international humanitarian law, especially the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions.

Rather than boycott and isolate the Israeli apartheid regime for their unrelenting crimes against our people, and foremost against our prisoners, the Palestinian political establishment decided to receive and honor the representative of the Israeli apartheid regime, the same regime our prisoners are fighting against, as if the  crimes committed against our prisoners are perpetrated by someone else.

Our political prisoners are waging an immense battle on their own, because they have no illusions that the "peace process" can set them free or guarantee their dignity. They are armed only with their willpower and unity. Neither we nor they expected the PLO to choose Palestinian Prisoners Day, 17 April, which also coincided with the day of the beginning of the hunger strike, to deliver a letter to the Israeli prime minister nor to receive a representative of the apartheid regime. 

Molkho's “visit” comes at a time when, Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh, have gone for 76 days without food in protest of the Israeli administrative detention policy.  Additionally, Hasan Al-Safadi has gone without food for 70 days, Omar Abu Shallal for 68 days, Mahmoud Al-Sarsak for 56 days, Mohammad Taj for 57 days, Jafar Ezzedine for 53 days, and Abdullah Al-Barghouthi for 32 days. 

Our political prisoners have struggled for our dignity and have sacrificed their lives to make the PLO the sole representative of the Palestinian people, and they deserve that we stand honorably to support them.   

Therefore, we demand that the PLO:

          ·         Stop all negotiations and meetings with the Israeli apartheid regime.

·         Use its political, economical and moral weight in support of the prisoners’    strike and formulate a national strategy to liberate the prisoners.

·         Respect and protect, at the next PLO Executive Committee, the free will of our political prisoners and the sovereignty of the prisoners’ movement in its decisions.

Palestinians for Dignity

UN Closed

Today a group of Activist closed the entrance of the UN offices building in Ramallah, demanding a direct and serious actions from the UN to help saving the lives of the Palestinian prisoners in hunger strike.

UN closed Poster

Before taking this actions the protesters sent a message to the UN with their demands, the message "see below" asked the Ban Ki-Moon and the UN to help saving the Palestinian hunger strikers in the Israeli prison complex. 

Their inaction triggered our action. 

Police was there

Prisoners families joined us too

Leaving marks

The Message we sent to the UN 

May 10, 2012

His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon

Secretary-General of the United Nations

New York

Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

We, Palestinians for Dignity, represent a network of movements and individuals united in the struggle to achieve equality, justice and freedom for the Palestinian people wherever they reside. In your capacity as the United Nations Secretary General and in support of the rule of International law, we are writing to urge you to take urgent action to stop Israel’s continued violations of the rights of the over 4,600 Palestinians currently held in Israeli jails.

Over 1,600 Palestinian prisoners initiated on April 17^th an open-ended hunger strike to protest abuse at the hands of the Israeli Prison Service and to demand that their basic rights be respected. Hundreds more prisoners joined the hunger strike since then bringing the number of hunger strikers up to an estimated 2,500 prisoners.  Their plight has become even more urgent with the deteriorating health condition of eight prisoners, five of whom are held under the illegal practice of administrative detention, and some of whom have been on hunger strike for over two months.

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel said yesterday that the lives of Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahla are in danger, and demanded that Israel transfer them to a civilian hospital, without moving them back and forth to the prison. Israel has thus far refused to do so, highlighting Israel’s disregard for the lives of Palestinians. The cruel, inhuman and degrading practices that Palestinian prisoners are subjected to include denial of access to medical care, torture, solitary confinement, limits to family visitation, violations of children’s rights and bans on education, not to mention hundreds of them were never charged or given legal due process and are being held in Administrative Detention..

We note with disappointment your silence ever since this protest movement began in December 2011 with Khader Adnan’s arbitrary arrest and subsequent hunger strike. This stands in stark contrast to your vocal and persistent remarks in support of formerly incarcerated Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Though Shalit has been released, Palestinian prisoners are still suffering under the so-called “Shalit Law”, which imposed harsher measures on their conditions of detention.

We remind you of your responsibilities as Secretary-General of the UN. We invoke the norms of international law that guarantee basic rights to Palestinian prisoners, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions, the UN Convention Against Torture and the World Medical Association Malta Declaration on Hunger Strikers.

We urge you to take a firm and vocal position in opposition to Israel’s abuse and violation of Palestinian prisoners’ rights and encourage, through UN mechanisms at your disposal, measures of accountability for these violations. We urge you to take an official position in linewith the Palestinian prisoners’ demands and to encourage member states to stand against these gross human rights’ violations. We await your urgent response.

Sincerely,

Palestinians For Dignity 

  

Copied:

Navanethem Pillay UN Commissioner for Human Rights

Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator of the Middle East Peace Process

...

REMEMBER: 

Bilal Diab 72 days of hunger strike

Thaer Halahleh 72 days of hunger strike 

Hassan AlSafadi 66 days of hunger strike 

Omar Abu Shalal 64 days of hunger strike 

Muhamad Taj 53days of hunger strike

Mahmoud Sarsak 52 days of hunger strike 

Jaafar Azzedien 49 days of hunger strike 

Abduallah Al Barghoti 28 days of hunger strike 

more than 1500 23 days of hunger strike 

Ezzeddine Erroussi

Ezzeddine Erroussi, 23. is a Moroccan student activist from Taza, east of Morocco, Errousi was arrested in the first of December, 2011 from inside Taza university campus, when the university administration used the police to suppress student protests demanding student housing, cafeterias and Scholarship programs for the university students.

Ezzeddine Erroussi

Erroussi a third year economy student, sentenced for 3 month and 500 Moroccan Dirham, "59.1 USD" from the court of first instance for assaulting and detaining a policeman, yet when he was taken to the Appeals court, his sentence was expanded to 5 months of active prison time and 5000 Moroccan Dirham "591.6 USD".

In 19/12/2011, Erroussi started his hunger strike, at first he announced a 10 days hunger strike in protest of his initial sentence, but after the court confirmed and extended his sentence he declared an open hunger strike.

In January 23ed, 2012, Muhamad Gholot "Baher MoMo", Mihamad Al Zughaidi, Ibrahim Al Saeedi and Muhammad Fatal, detainees in Ein Qadous prison in Fass, joined Erroussi in the battle for freedom and justice for all Moroccan political prisoners.

 In February 14th, 2012, Muhamad Ghalat, Jadah Bi Baker, Lahassan Drajo, Muhamad Bikamarah, Yousef Ehjaih and Tareq Humani detained in Taza prison, started an open hunger strike.

In February, 22ed. 2012 Hisham Salah, Abduallateef AlEdreesi and Elioe AlGhali detainees in Toshka prison started a hunger strike as well.

They are all still in Hunger Strike

قائمه بالسجناء العرب المضربين عن الطعام

6 أبريل/نيسان 2012 

- البحرين: عبد الهادي الخواجا في يومه 58 والآن في المستشفى في العناية الحثيثة، وحسب التصريحات الحكومية البحرينية يوم 4 أبريل فقد خسر 10 كغم من وزنه وانخفاضاً ملحوظاً في مستوى الهيموجلوبين في الدم. يقضي الخواجا حكماً بالسجن المؤبد أصدرته محكمة عسكرية في محاكمة قالت عنها المنظمات الحقوقية الدولية بأنها غير عادلة. على تويتر 

انضمت ابنته زينب الخواجا مساء أمس الخميس الى الاضراب عن الطعام مساندةً لوالدها بعد اعتقالها من قبل السلطات بتهمة "الاعتداء على موظف"

#KhawajaStrike

السعودية: محمد البجادي في يومه 46 ، ويقبع في السجن من دون محاكمة ومن دون تهمة محددة، وأطلق اضرابه عن الطعام احتجاجً على اعتقاله التعسفي. التغطية الإعلامية لقضية اعتقاله محدودة جداً. على تويتر

#AlBjadyHungerStrike

#ArbitraryDetention

:معتقلون فلسطينيون في سجون اسرائيل 

- بلال دياب و ثائر حلاحلة في يومهما 38 في اضراب ضد الاعتقال الاداري بحسب ما أكده بيان صاجر عن نادي الأسير الفلسطيني ونشرته جريد القدس يوم أمس على تويتر

 #BilalDiab #ThairHalahle 

- القائمة التي نشرها نادي الأسير الفلسطيني والمشار اليها في الأعلى تضم الآتي أسماؤهم من غير تحدي تواريخ بدء الاضراب 

حسن الصفدي، مهند عبدالله، أحمد نبهان صقر، عمر أبو شلال، محمد أبو عرب، فارس الناطور، وأيمن طبيش، وجعفر عز الدين وهؤلاء مضربون بسبب اعتقالهم الإداري. واضاف البيان بأن الأسير محمد التاج من طوباس يستمر في إضرابه لاعتباره أسير حرب، والأسير ياسين كركري تضامنا مع الأسرى المضربين عن الطعام.

:المغرب/الصحراء المغربية

- لحمام سلامة، معتقل سياسي صحراوي ابتدأ اضرابه عن الطعام في ابريل 3 احتجاجاً على المعاملة السيئة والقاسية في سجون المغرب. في يومه الرابع. على تويتر. 

#LahmamSalameh

:المغرب: معتقلون سياسيون  

واحد وعشرين معتقلاً سياسياً مغربياً في اضراب عن الطعام منذ مدة. وأبرزهم عز الدين الروسي الذي أمضى 102 يوماً في الاضراب قبل نقله الى  المستشفى في حالة صحية حرجة قبل أسبوع. القائمة الكاملة هنا ومصدرها: عبر مجموعة مناضلين من أطاك المغرب و التضامن

 عز الدين الروسي، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة تازة، منذ 19/12/2011

 محمد غلاط، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة تازة، منذ 23/01/2012

 محمد غلوض، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن عين القادوس بمدينة فاس، منذ 23/01/2012

 محمد فتال، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن عين القادوس بمدينة فاس، منذ 23/01/2012

 إبراهيم السعيدي، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن عين القادوس بمدينة فاس، منذ 23/01/2012

 محمد زغديدي، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن عين القادوس بمدينة فاس، منذ 23/01/2012

 عبد الجليل أكاضيل، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة آسفي، منذ 20/02/2012

 هشام صالح، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة الراشيدية، منذ 22/02/2012 

 الغالي عليوي، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة الراشيدية، منذ 22/02/2012

 عبد اللطيف الادريسي، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة الراشيدية، منذ 22/02/2012

 يوسف أحجيج، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة تازة، منذ 29/02/2012

 طارق الهاماني، مدرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة تازة، منذ 05/03/2012

 عبد الصمد الهيدور، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن عكاشة بمدينة الدار البيضاء، منذ 12/03/2012

 بوبكر جادة، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة تازة، منذ 14/03/2012

 الحسن دراحو، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة تازة، منذ 14/03/2012

 محمد بوكمارة مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة تازة منذ 14/03/2012

 ياسر نوجاجي، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة سيدي إفني، منذ 22/03/2012

 مراد الشويني، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة مراكش، منذ 27/03/2012

 يوسف الحمادة، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة مراكش،منذ 27/03/2012

 محمد لعبيد، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة أكادير، منذ 28/03/2012

 عبد الله بلاح، مضرب عن الطعام بسجن مدينة أكادير،منذ 28/03/2012

هذه المعلومات تم جمعها من قبل الناشط الحقوقي فادي القاضي

A Message of Solidarity to Palestinian Hunger Striker Khader Adnan

On 27 October 1980, republican prisoners in HM Prison Maze(Occupied Ireland) began a hunger strike. Many prisoners volunteered to be part of the strike, but a total of seven were selected to match the number of men who signed the Easter 1916 Proclamation of the Republic. The group consisted of IRA members Brendan Hughes, Tommy McKearney, Raymond McCartney, Tom McFeeley, Sean McKenna, Leo Green, and INLA member John Nixon. 

On 1 December three prisoners in Armagh Women's Prison joined the strike, including Mairéad Farrell, followed by a short-lived hunger strike by several dozen more prisoners in HM Prison Maze. In a war of nerves between the IRA leadership and the British government, with McKenna lapsing in and out of a coma and on the brink of death, the government appeared to concede the essence of the prisoners demands with a thirty-page document detailing a proposed settlement. 

With the document in transit to Belfast, the IRA took the decision to save McKenna's life and end the strike after 53 days on 18 December

Before the hunger strike Mckearny told his parents 

I'll put all my cards on the table. I'm going on hunger strike. If and when I die, I want to be brought back to Roscommon and be buried alongside my "Granda" . . . Don't let people try to influence you, your only friends will be the Republican Movement. If I die, never let the family be ashamed. If I die, I'll die in the knowledge that my life was for the cause and for the other boys here. If at my funeral the press say, "See how the IRA let your son die", just say, "My son died as an Irish soldier, not a British criminal

Today, 30 years later, as Palestinian Prisoner Khader Adnan enter his 54 day of  the hunger strike he started solely in December 17, 2011. Tommy McKearney made this video to express solidarity with a fellow fighter for freedom and Justice.  

"My dignity is more Important than Food" Khader Adnan