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Danielle Ni Dhighe
2nd October 2011, 08:55
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

27 September 2011
Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America

Solidarity With Palestinian Hunger Strikers

On behalf of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement, the Irish
Republican Socialist Committees of North America send our solidarity
and support to Palestinian political prisoners as they embark on a
hunger strike.

On 25 September 2011, the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine announced that prisoners belonging to it will begin an open-
ended hunger strike on Tuesday, 27 September, in response to the
oppressive policies of the Israeli government and its prison
administration. They demand their rights and their dignity as they
struggle for victory.

Their stated demands: An end to the solitary confinement and isolation
of PFLP General Secretary Ahmad Sa'adat, an end to the policy of
isolation for all prisoners, an end to the policy of systematic
humiliation by the occupation army against the Palestinian people at
checkpoints and crossings (particularly targeting visitors to
prisons), an end to the arbitrary denial of visits to the prisoners
(especially the prisoners from the Gaza Strip), and an end to the
humiliation and abuse of prisoners during transfer.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the deaths of ten Irish
prisoners belonging to the Provisional Irish Republican Army and the
Irish National Liberation Army (the latter a section of the IRSM) on
hunger strike for their rights as prisoners of war within British
occupation prisons.

As fellow revolutionaries in the struggle for socialism and against
imperialism, we send our full support to the PFLP prisoners as they
embark on this hunger strike. Our strength is your strength as you
commence your hunger strike, and your victory will also be our
victory. As Che Guevara once said: "We cannot be indifferent to what
happens anywhere in the world, because a victory by any country over
imperialism is our victory, just as any country's defeat is a defeat
for all of us."

We also call on the International Committee of the Red Cross and other
human rights organizations to exercise their responsibilities and act
swiftly to demand that Israel ensures that Ahmad Sa'adat and all
Palestinian prisoners are freed from punitive isolation.

Onward to victory, comrades!

###

Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
PO Box 5174
Champaign IL 61825
USA
[email protected]
http://www.irscna.org/
http://www.irsp.ie/irscna.html

freepalestine
5th October 2011, 03:46
^see http://www.freeahmadsaadat.org/index.html









"translated"
Weroud Kassem,17. she is on a hunger strike fight behind ‘Israeli’ prison’s bars
Mon Oct 03, 4:26 am



‘Weroud Kassem’ 17 , a political prisoner taking part in the hunger strike fight behind ‘Israeli’ prison’s bars

http://saeb.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/The-imprisoned-Palestinian-activist-Weroud-Kassem-from-the-PFLP-she-is-on-hanger-strike-300x300.jpg

RAMALLAH /SaebPress…. The Palestinian activist ‘Weroud Kassem’ from the PFLP,
a political prisoner takingpart in the hunger strike fight behind ‘Israeli’ prison’s bars,
the hunger strike stared on the 27th of Sep.
She is one of around three thousands (3,000) Palestinian detainees
in ‘Israeli’ prisons on hunger strike for the seventh consecutive day,
protesting against solitary confinement and deprivation of family visits.
Palestinian human rights and prisoners group ‘Addameer’, confirmed on Sunday
that the original Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(PFLP) strikers, had been joined by DFLP comrades and also Hamas prisoners in ‘Ramon’, ‘Eshe’,
‘Nafha’ and Ashkelonprisons, with Fatah-affiliated detainees also taking
part in Ashkelon.
Factions will meet in the ‘Negev’ and ‘Ofer’ jails on Tuesday to discuss
broadening participation, ‘Addameer’ press release stated. The prisoners
support body said the ‘Israeli’ Prison Service had transferred PFLP prisoners
and confiscated salt-water sustaining the strikers in the Negev prison, in response
to the action.
Popular Front officials say the ‘Israeli’ prison administration has isolated several
Palestinian detainees who are on hunger strike and forbade the prisoners in
‘Ashkelon’ jail from going outside for the daily break.
In the Negev prison, 56 PFLP detainees joined the hunger strike and many
ill participants also refused medication in a bold stand in solidarity
with the strike. In ‘Ofer’ prison, 10 detainees joined the strike, the officials said.
A spokesperson for the prisoners, in a released statement said on Sunday,
“The 3,000 or so prisoners would not end the hunger strike, until their demands
were met. Primarily, ending to the policy of solitary confinement in ‘Israeli’ jails’’.
The Palestinians prisoners’ representative said there had been a recent
escalation in policies against prisoners, “which the right-wing Israeli government
started since it came to power, in an attempt to exert more pressure on the Palestinian
leadership to achieve political gains,” a statement said.
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine Sheikh Muhammad Hussein called on Palestinian
officials and communities to support the detainees to reach their demands.
SaebPress

accordingtohttp://saeb.org/2011/10/weroud-kassem-hanger-strike-fight-%E2%80%98israeli%E2%80%99-person%E2%80%99s-bars/

freepalestine
5th October 2011, 03:49
qyU8ivO15Y4

xiPyWkRjHms








Thousands rally for prisoners in Israeli jails
Published Monday 03/10/2011 (updated) 04/10/2011 14:20

Women take part in a protest at the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City on
Oct. 3, 2011, to show their solidarity with prisoners held in Israeli jails.
(Reuters/Mohammed Salem)
NABLUS (AFP) -- Thousands of people in the West Bank and Gaza staged demonstrations on Monday in solidarity with Palestinian detainees on hunger strike in Israeli jails.

The rallies were held as inmates saw through the seventh consecutive day of a hunger strike to protest against worsening conditions for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

Around 2,000 people joined a rally in front of the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Nablus, in the northern West Bank.

The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, pictures of prisoners, and banners with slogans reading: "No to solitary confinement."

They also handed over a letter calling on the Red Cross to intervene on the prisoners' behalf.

Further south, several hundred Palestinians held a similar rally in the center of Ramallah.

Demonstrators had set up a protest tent on Saturday in Ramallah's Yasser Arafat Square, formerly known as Clock Square. The group, calling themselves independent youth, accused politicians of neglecting the cause of prisoners.

In Gaza City, around 1,000 people demonstrated on Monday outside the local headquarters of the Red Cross.

Hamas leaders addressed the crowd, and pledged that Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Gaza-based militants in 2006, would not be freed until Palestinian prisoners were released.

"We assure our courageous prisoners that the day of liberation approaches and that Shalit will not taste freedom or see the light until our prisoners have been released safe and sound," Hamas leader Ismail al-Ashqar said.

Hamas has sought to exchange Shalit for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, but mediated talks between the two sides have repeatedly failed, with Israel refusing to free Palestinians accused of carrying out anti-Israeli attacks.

On Sunday, prisoner support group Addameer said Palestinian detainees affiliated to Hamas and Fatah were joining the Popular Front prisoners who launched the strike, protesting the treatment of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat, who has been held in isolation for three years.

Director of the Abu Jihad center for prisoners affairs at al-Quds university Fahd Abu al-Hajj said Sunday that 3,000 or so prisoners were taking part.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli Prisons Authority of the number of prisoners who refused food last week, but by Monday, IPA spokeswoman Sivan Weizman said "160 prisoners" were observing a hunger strike.

Prisoners are demanding an end to solitary confinement and collective punishment, fines and what they say are provocative cell raids.

They are also calling for improvements to medical care and to be allowed to take university courses and receive books, newspapers and clothes.

Palestinian Authority Minister of Detainee Affairs Issa Qaraqe said prisoners wanted better visitation rights, noting that visits were limited to 30 minutes each month. Detainees were protesting the practice of chaining their hands and legs during family visits and meetings with lawyers, he added.

In June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to toughen conditions for Palestinians in Israeli jails, in an effort to pressure Hamas to release captured Israeli solider Gilad Shalit.

Ma'an staff contributed to this report
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=425809