Calls for Releasing all Syrian Prisoners from Occupation’s Jails Renewed on Syrian Prisoners Day
QUNEITRA, (ST)- The Committee for Supporting Syrian Prisoners and Detainees in the Israeli jails has condemned the Zionist occupation’s continuous policy of detention and arrest against the people of occupied Syrian Golan, stressing that these policies violate international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention relating to the treatment of civilians under occupation.
Marking the Syrian Prisoners Day, which falls on April 21st, the committee issued a statement condemning the barbaric treatment of Syrian captives in the Israeli jails, urging the International Red Cross Organization and other humanitarian and human rights bodies to assume their legal responsibilities towards this issue. It called on these organizations to pressure the occupation authorities as to stop its arbitrary detention policy against the people of occupied Syrian Golan and to release all prisoners with the dean of the Syrian prisoners Sidqi al-Maqt on the top of the list.
The statement lashed out at the Zionist military court’s procedure that delayed the trial of al-Maqt, stressing that this procedure is a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms as well as all human rights agreements which guarantee the right of the people of occupied territories to defend their freedom, dignity and legitimate rights and which are completely ignored by Israel.
Captives’ resistance against occupation recognized by International Law
Head of the committee, liberated prisoner Ali al-Younis told SANA office in Quneitra that the “Syrian captives have a just cause and their struggle and resistance against occupation is recognized by all international laws.”
He said the occupation’s constant oppressive practices and arbitrary detention carry on its expansionist and tyrannical schemes against the people of the occupied Syrian Golan, pointing out that the people of Golan have suffered “the occupation’s economic and social siege, dredging of agricultural land, stealing of Golan’s water and preventing of Syrian families from communicating with their mother land”.
Nearly fifth of the occupied Syrian Golan population have been exposed to arrest and pursuit by the Israeli occupation forces. Many of the captives are still under arbitrary detention which, besides men, also targeted women, children and elderly.
Rally in Solidarity with Prisoners Staging Hunger Strike in Occupation’s Jials
In solidarity with the Syrian and Palestinian prisoners staging an open hunger strike in occupations’ jails, the people of occupied Golan organized a rally at Sultan Pasha al-Atrash Square in the occupied Syrian town of Majdal Shams.
Liberated prisoner Bisher al-Maqt, who took part in the rally, stressed that the participants affirm their support for and solidarity with the prisoners who entered the battle of empty stomachs and are suffering the hunger pains to stress their resistance against the Zionist occupation’s oppressive and arbitrary practices against them.
Al-Maqt Joined Prisoners Hunger Strike
Last Tuesday, in a solidarity move, dean of the Syrian and Arab prisoners Sidqi al-Maqt, being held in the Israeli jails, declared that he would join the hunger strike of the Palestinian and Syrian prisoners.
According to the Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen news channel, Sidqi al-Maqt joined the strike on its third day, saying “I salute, from the heart of Israeli jails, the souls of all martyrs of Syria and Arab nation. The hunger pains in our empty stomachs are a battle towards the victory of our humanity and national dignity.”
Al-Maqt was released by Israeli occupation authorities in August of 2012 after 27 years in occupation jails, and was re-detained in February 2015 for his resistant stances.
Hamda Mustafa