Thousands of Palestinians in Israeli jails: A grim reality on Prisoners' Day

Ahram Online , Monday 17 Apr 2023

Around 5,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held captive in Israel, including 31 women and 160 minors, one of whom is a girl, according to Palestinian prisoners' advocacy groups, marking the Palestinian Prisoner’s Day on Monday

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A demonstration in support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, outside the International Committee of the Red Cross headquarters in Ramallah city in the occupied West Bank, on August 2, 2022. ( AFP)

 

The group added that they are held in administrative detention without charge or trial, as reported by the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

In a joint report, the Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, Addameer Association for Prisoner Support and Human Rights, and Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem, confirmed that an estimated 4,900 "freedom fighters" are currently incarcerated in Israel.

They also stated that 23 prisoners have been held before the signing of Oslo Accords in 1993. The oldest among them is Mohammad al-Tous, who has been held for 38 years now, since 1985.

Some 400 prisoners have been in jail for over 20 years and that 554 are serving multiple life terms, one of them being Abdullah Barghouti, who was sentenced to 67 life sentences.

Additionally, 11 prisoners were released in a prisoner exchange in 2011, but were re-arrested in 2014 and had their sentences reinstated. Among them, Nael Barghouti is considered the longest serving "freedom fighter" with 43 years behind bars, 34 of which were continuous.

The Israeli occupation authorities are still retaining the bodies of 12 Palestinians who passed away while in detention, with one of them being held since 1980.

Furthermore, around 700 prisoners are reportedly suffering from various illnesses, including 24 palestinians with different stages of cancer. The case of Walid Daqqa, who has been in custody for 37 years, is said to be one of the most challenging.

Several rallies are planned for Monday in West Bank and Gaza cities in support of the "freedom fighters" and to demand their release and freedom.

In Brussels, the Palestinian community in Belgium and supporters of Palestine, including lawmakers and party leaders, held a vigil today to commemorate Palestinian Prisoner's Day.

Participants raised Palestinian flags, pictures of prisoners in Israeli prisons, and banners expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle for freedom and dignity.

The commemorative gathering was called for by the Palestinian community in Belgium, the European Coalition in Support of Palestinian Prisoners' Rights, and the Belgian-Palestinian Association, and was held in front of the central train station in downtown Brussels.

Since 1974, Palestinians have been commemorating 17 April as Palestinian Prisoner's Day to honor the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli occupation prisons and to advocate for their legitimate right to freedom

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