Take
Action: Palestinian political prisoners launch mass hunger strike
17 April
2017
Palestinian
political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers have launched a
mass hunger strike starting 17 April 2017. The call for hunger strike came
amidst resentment of Israeli’s cruel policies towards political prisoners. An
estimated 1500 Palestinian prisoners have announced the beginning of an open
hunger strike.
The hunger
striking prisoners’ demands include: family visits, proper medical care, end to
Israel’s practice of detaining Palestinians without charge or trial in
so-called administrative detention and stopping the use of isolation. As the
strike begins, Addameer Prisoner Support urges supporters of justice around the
world to take action to support the Palestinian prisoners whose bodies and
lives are on the line for freedom and dignity.
The issue
of Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli prisons and detention
centers transcends one of individual human rights; it is also one of collective
rights of an entire people – the Palestinian people, who continue to be deprived
of the right to self-determination and sovereignty – basic fundamentals of
international law. All Palestinian political prisoners – regardless of their
alleged political affiliations or charges – are entitled to fair trial
guarantees under international humanitarian law and international human rights
laws. Palestinian political prisoners and detainees are systematically
subjected to torture and ill-treatment with continued impunity – highlighting
the need for more solidarity actions from people around the globe to call for
immediate release of all Palestinian political prisoners, long-denied their
basic rights.
Addameer
Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association urges all people to organize
events in solidarity with the struggle of hunger-striking prisoners and
detainees. 2017 marks 100 years of the
Balfour declaration; 70 years of Palestinian Catastrophe (al-Nakba); 50 years
of brutal military occupation. This is also the year to hold the Israeli
occupation accountable for its actions and to demand the immediate release of
all Palestinian political prisoners!
TAKE
ACTION:
1. Join
Addameer social media campaign aims at raising awareness: hold a sign saying
#PalHunger, #Free_Palestinian_Political_Prisoners, or #StopAD (administrative
detention campaign), #NotATarget (Human Rights Defenders campaign), and share
either a picture of you holding a sign or just the hashtag along with a picture
of a prisoner or a detainee on social media (twitter and facebook) to raise
awareness.
2. Join
Addameer’s campaigns and their Call to Action: Addameer has two major
campaigns: Stop Administrative Detention campaign and the Human Rights
Defenders. You could use any of addameer’s materials prepared for these two
campaigns or any other materials on Addameer’s website.
3. Organize
a protest, demonstration, speaking event or banner drop in your city, community
or campus calling for the immediate release of all Palestinian political
prisoners and to show solidarity with the hunger striking prisoners and
detainees.
4. Write to
Israeli officials or to your local MPs to demand release for Palestinian
political prisoners. Addresses can be provided upon request.
5. Join BDS
Campaign: Organize an action at HP office in your city to highlight the role of
corporations involved in – and profiting from – the political imprisonment of
Palestinians by the Israeli occupation.
6. Send an
email to info@addameer.ps or to our Facebook page to let us know about any
actions you are planning.