Éirígí Joins Global Call For The Release Of Palestinian Prisoners
Éirígí For A New Republic activists have unfurled a pro-Palestinian banner in the Garden of Remembrance. The display was one of many actions that will take place across the world between January 15th and January 29th to demand the release of Ahmad Sa’adat and all other Palestinian prisoners.
In October 2001, during the Second Intifada, Ahmad Sa’adat was elected Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Two weeks later, PFLP activists assassinated hated Israeli Minister Rehavam Zeevi provoking a furious Israeli backlash. Succumbing to Israeli and US pressure, Palestinian Authority special forces arrested Ahman Sa’adat on January 15th 2002. He was held in Yasser Arafat’s compound in Ramallah.
After a month-long Israeli siege of Arafat’s compound, Sa’adat was handed over into US/British custody in Jericho Prison. In March 2006, Israeli forces stormed Jericho Prison, capturing Sa’adat and hundreds of other political prisoners. Two years later, an Israeli military court sentenced Sa’adat to 30 years.
Ahmad Sa’adat is one of over 5,000 Palestinian prisoners that are being held in Israeli jails.
Over the following four years Sa’adat was held in isolation from other prisoners, with very limited human contact. After a series of hunger strikes, culminating in the 2012 Prisoners’ Day in which over 2,500 political prisoners began an all-out hunger strike, isolation was finally broken. He was moved from high security Ramon to Shata prison but has continually been denied family visits since.
There are roughly 5,000 Palestinian prisoners, from every political organisation, being held in Israeli jails today. They are imprisoned, simply because they, as Palestinians, organised and opposed the occupation of their land.
The prisoners’ arrest and detention are covered by over 1,500 separate Israeli military regulations. These punitive regulations can be altered at any given time by the Israeli regional military commander concerned.
Éirígí has a long history of solidarity with the Palestinian people. We encourage all civil society groups, organisations and individuals to add their voices to the call for release Ahmad Sa’adat and all Palestinian political prisoners.