Dr. Ashrawi: Palestinian Prisoners are Hostages to Israel’s Gratuitous Cruelty and Must be Released
On the Day of the Palestinian Prisoner, the Palestinian leadership renews its call for the release of all Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
According to a press release sent today to Syria Times e-newspaper, the member of the PLO Executive Committee Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said that Palestinian political prisoners languishing in Israeli detention centers and prisons are hostages to Israel’s gratuitous cruelty and victims of its regime of oppression and subjugation, which has maintained this illegal occupation for decades.
Dr. Ashrawi made it clear that approximately 5000 Palestinians are currently imprisoned by Israel in deplorable conditions, including 432 so-called administrative detainees languishing in prison without charge or trial.
“In violation of international humanitarian law, Israel subjects Palestinians to a myriad of racist and illegitimate laws that deny them their basic rights to due process and justice.
On the Day of the Palestinian Prisoner, the Palestinian leadership renews its call for the release of all Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. This call takes on added urgency, as 700 Palestinian prisoners suffer from chronic illnesses and other underlying conditions that make them especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, ” Dr. Ashrawi added.
She asserted that as the Palestinian people confront the challenges of colonial occupation and this vicious virus, Israel has persisted in its illegal policies against Palestinian prisoners.
“Israel has denied Palestinian prisoners access to family and lawyer visits and refused to take any preventive measures inside prisons, including testing for COVID-19, even after 1 prisoner tested positive upon release and several occupation officers in prisons have tested positive. Israel has also persisted in its illegal policy of arbitrary mass detention of Palestinians. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Israeli occupation forces have detained 357 Palestinians across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Among those detained are 48 children.”
Dr. Ashrawi concluded by saying: “As an occupying power, Israel has undeniable and binding obligations under international law. It is directly responsible for the life and health of all prisoners and must face consequences for its grave violations of international law. We call on all human rights defenders and relevant international organizations to support our call for the release of Palestinian prisoners and their protection from this deadly virus.”
Basma Qaddour