News
Prominent Palestinian writer and political scientist Ahmad Qatamish was arrested in a pre-dawn raid by Israeli occupation forces today, 14 May 2017. Mr. Qatamish was arrested from his home in Ramallah and has been taken to an unidentified place. Addameer strongly condemns Qatamish’s continuing detention, as it suggests that he is still being targeted for his writings and activism. Mr. Qatamish was first arrested by the Israeli authorities in 1969 and held for a few months. He was then rearrested in 1972, this time spending 4 years in prison. After his release, Mr. Qatamish spent 17 years in hiding from 1976 to 1992 to avoid re-arrest. On 2 September 1992, however, he was arrested once more...
The administrative detention of hunger-striking circus trainer and performer Mohammad Abu Sakha has been limited to three months during a High Court hearing on Wednesday, 10 May 2017. Addameer's attorney Mahmoud Hassan submitted an appeal against renewing the administrative detention of Abu Sakha, which will end on 11 June 2017. The prosecution requested renewal of his detention order for an additional six months. However, during the court hearing, the judge agreed to renew the order for three months under the condition of no further renewal. Abu Sakha joined the mass hunger strike on 17 April 2017, which is currently on its 25th day. His mother, Raja'a Abu Sakha, has also joined the hunger...
On 10 May 2017, Addameer's attorney Farah Bayadsi submitted a petition to the Israeli District Court of Beer Al Sabe' against banning her from visiting PFLP leader Ahmad Sa'adat, who was transferred to isolation in Ashkelon prison after joining the mass hunger strike. Since the beginning of the strike, 17 April 2017, Addameer requested several visits from Israeli Prison Service (IPS) to visit hunger-striking prisoners and detainees, but the IPS either does not respond or rejects the request. Addameer particularly condemns the IPS’ restrictions imposed on lawyers to visit all prisoners following the increasing number of Palestinian prisoners engaging in the hunger strike. Despite Israeli...
Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons launched a mass hunger strike on 17 April 2017, on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. The call for hunger strike came as a result of Israel’s policies and practices towards Palestinian political prisoners, who continue to face punishments by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS). An estimated 1700 Palestinian prisoners announced the beginning of an open hunger strike. The hunger striking prisoners’ demands include: an end to the IPS’ abusive use of isolation for “security” reasons; an end to Israel’s practice of detaining Palestinians without charge or trial in administrative detention, under which 500 Palestinians are currently detained; ending denial...
Palestinian political prisoners entered 18th day of hunger strike, the day that standing may become difficult or even impossible. On 3 May 2017, significant Palestinian political leaders declared they will be joining the mass hunger strike. A joint press conference held in Ramallah on the same day declared that imprisoned Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) General Secretary Ahmad Sa’adat will join the strike along with dozens of leaders from several Palestinian political factions such as Nael Barghouthi, Hassan Salameh, Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh, Abbas al-Sayed, Ziad Bseiso, Basem al-Khandakji, Mohammed al-Malah, Tamim Salem, Mahmoud Issa, and Said al-Tubasi. Over 1500 Palestinian...
17-year-old Palestinian child Malak Salman has been sentenced by an Israeli court to 10 years in prison. Salman from the city of Jerusalem, was arrested on 9 February 2016 and has been charged with possessing a knife and an attempted manslaughter. Salman was transferred between different prisons, but she is currently placed in Hasharon prison located in 1948 territories.
Today, 25 April 2107, Addameer’s attorneys visited Nafha, Hadarim and Asqlan prisons, where they were not able to visit hunger-striking prisoners and detainees due to Israeli Prison Service (IPS) refusal. However, they managed to visit prisoners who were not on hunger strike that informed the attorneys of the hunger strike's recent developments. During a visit to the Hadarim prison, prisoner Thabet al-Mardawi explained to Addameer’s attorney Mona Naddaf, that the IPS started transferring prisoners from one section to another on the second day of the strike, 18 April 2017. He added, that Marwan Barghouthi and Karim Younis were placed in isolation in Al-Jalama prison, and Anas Jaradat and...
An estimated 1500 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers have declared the beginning of an open hunger strike on 17 April 2017. The call for hunger strike came amidst resentment of Israeli’s cruel policies towards political prisoners and detainees. The hunger striking prisoners’ demands include: family visits, proper medical care, an end to Israel’s practice of detaining Palestinians without charge or trial in so-called administrative detention and stopping the use of isolation. Here are some facts on Palestinian hunger strikes: What is the History of Palestinian Hunger Strikes? Hunger strikes have long been used in different geographical areas as means to...
Addameer's attorney Farah Bayadsi visited two Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Ofer prison on 23 April 2017. Fadi Abu Attiya and Louay al-Mansi began their strike at the beginning of the collective strike on 17 April 2017. On the second day of the strike, they were removed from Section 15 in Ofer prison to Section 11 in the same prison. The two strikers said that all of the strikers in Ofer – 119 prisoners in total – were transferred to Section 11 of the prison. The section contains 12 rooms, each with ten prisoners. All of the prisoners have been stripped of their possessions; only one blanket has been kept for each prisoner and one set of clothing in addition to the “Shabas...
As more than 1000 Palestinian political prisoners have declared the beginning of an open hunger strike on 17 April 2017, Israeli occupation authorities have taken repressive policies and measures in order to put an end to the mass hunger strike. Several hunger-striking prisoners and detainees have been thrown into isolation in order to separate them from their fellow prisoners. Special unit forces stormed and raided the hunger-striking sections in Nitzan, Ramle, Hadarim, Ashkelon, and Gilboa, prisons confiscating personal belongings. Additionally, several prisoners were transferred to other prisons, which resulted in a deterioration in their health condition due to the lengthy transfer...