Six Palestinian prisoners are currently on hunger strike inside Israeli jails, demanding their freedom and an end to the policy of administrative detention without charge or trial. Click here to support the strikers and take action to support their struggle.
Mahmoud al-Fasfous, 26, from Dura near al-Khalil, launched his hunger strike on 20 February to protest the extension of his administrative detention without charge or trial for the third time for four months. The extention of al-Fasfous’ administrative detention was confirmed on Sunday, 13 March by an Israeli military court. Meanwhile, Khaled al-Fasfous, Mahmoud’s brother, was arrested and his home ransacked by invading Israeli occupation forces in an early-morning raid on his home in al-Khalil on Sunday.
Yazan Zaid Hanani, 24, from Beit Furik outside Nablus, has been on hunger strike for at least fourteen – and up to 26 days in protest of his administrative detention without charge or trial since 28 October 2015. He has been prevented from meeting with his lawyer for several months.
Dawoud Habboub, from al-Amari refugee camp in Ramallah, launched his hunger strike on 1 March in protest of his imprisonment without charge or trial under administrative detention.
Sami Janazrah, 43, from al-Fawwar refugee camp in al-Khalil, has been on hunger strike since early March in protest of administrative detention. His own imprisonment without charge or trial was extended by an Israeli military court for four additional months on Sunday, 13 March. He has been held in administrative detention since 15 November 2015.
Alaa Rayan and Karam Amro also have joined the hunger strike against administrative detention in support of their fellow detainees.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges people of conscience around the world, Palestine solidarity organizations and supporters of justice to take action in support of these Palestinian prisoners on the front lines in the struggle against occupation and apartheid. It must not take two and three months of starvation for the calls of Palestinian prisoners for freedom to be heard and heeded; it is necessary to mobilize now and build support for not only the hunger strikers, but for all over 7,000 Palestinian prisoners, imprisoned in Israeli jails for seeking the freedom of their people.
1. Sign on: Send a letter to Israeli officials demanding the immediate release of the hunger strikers and an end to the policy of administrative detention. Make sure that your voice is heard and that is clear that these Palestinian prisoners are not alone in their struggle.
2. Protest at the Israeli consulate or embassy in your area. Bring posters and flyers about administrative detention and Palestinian hunger strikers and hold a protest, or join a protest with this important information. Hold a community event or discussion, or include this issue in your next event about Palestine and social justice. Please email us at samidoun@samidoun.net to inform us of your action – we will publicize and share news with the prisoners.
3. Contact political officials in your country – members of Parliament or Congress, or the Ministry/Department of Foreign Affairs or State – and demand that they cut aid and relations with Israel on the basis of its apartheid practices, its practice of colonialism, and its numerous violations of Palestinian rights including the systematic practice of administrative detention. Demand they pressure Israel to free the hunger strikers and end administrative detention.
4. Boycott, Divest and Sanction. Hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. Don’t buy Israeli goods, and campaign to end investments in corporations that profit from the occupation. G4S, a global security corporation, is heavily involved in providing services to Israeli prisons that jail Palestinian political prisoners – there is a global call to boycott it. Palestinian political prisoners have issued a specific call urging action on G4S. Learn more about BDS at bdsmovement.net.
Letter Text:
To Brigadier General Dani Afroni, Military Judge Advocate General and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu;
I write today to demand the immediate release of Palestinian hunger strikers Mahmoud al-Fasfous, Dawoud Habboub, Yazan Zaid Hanani, Sami Janazrah, Karam Amro and Alaa Rayyan, refusing protest in protest of administrative detention – imprisonment without charge or trial. Several of the strikers’ detention periods were recently renewed – with no evidence, no charges and no trial.
I also demand the end of the use of administrative detention. Imprisonment without charge or trial on the basis of secret evidence is shameful – and Israel’s practice is a policy of repression aimed at the Palestinian people under occupation.
The life and health of all of the hunger strikers is precious to me and to people around the world. The eyes of the world are on these cases, and the government of Israel is fully responsible for the hunger strikers’ health and lives.
Administrative detention violates the right to a fair trial as recognized in the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. It is a practice that is used to silence Palestinians without ever exposing the reality of such actions to the light of day – even in the rigged military court systems.
The strikers must be released immediately, as must their fellow Palestinian prisoners.
