Press Release - October 16, 1999
On 15 October 1999, 151 Palestinian and Arab Prisoners were released from Israeli Occupation prisons following an agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israeli Authorities according to Sharm Esheikh memorandum signed between the two sides on Sep. 5th 1999. Another 199 Palestinian prisoners were released mid September out of 2000 Palestinian prisoners still in Israeli prisons.
On 15 October 1999, 151 Palestinian and Arab Prisoners were released from Israeli Occupation prisons following an agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israeli Authorities according to Sharm Esheikh memorandum signed between the two sides on Sep. 5th 1999. Another 199 Palestinian prisoners were released mid September out of 2000 Palestinian prisoners still in Israeli prisons.
Addameer welcomed and congratulated the released prisoners, their families, Palestinian and Arab people and all those, who appreciate freedom and Justice. Although Addameer welcomes the release of any Palestinian and Arab Prisoner but sees the agreement, under which this release came, within the greater picture and analyses it as follows:
- These releases of some prisoners were based upon discriminated Israeli policies through dividing Palestinian and Arab people and forcing hard conditions and obstacles. This means that Israel still denies the fact that these prisoners are all prisoners of war (POW’s).
- All prisoners were part of the Arab and Palestinian National movement and they were arrested and trialed for political reasons.
- The Israeli Authorities are manipulating the issue of prisoners to pressure the Palestinian side during the negotiations at the time when political agreements are signed between the two sides to find a solution for the conflict.
There are facts about this agreement, under which these reales came, proving the above analysis:
- Israeli Authorities had added conditions to release prisoners: prisoners should sign an agreement of seven points, most importantly including their assurances not commit any violent actions and not to enter the Israeli territories. Their release will be part of sharm El- sheikh agreement, and the remnant of their detention period will stay as a halted sentence for a period of three years. For a prisoner to be released the agreement should be signed first.
- Israel refused to release prisoners involved in killing or injuring Israelis.
- Israel refused to release Palestinian prisoners from Jerusalem based upon its claim that Jerusalem is an Israel territory and its prisoners will not be included in the agreement with the Palestinian Authority. This comes against all international laws concerning the status of Jerusalem, which is clear and considers it a city Occupied by the Israelis.
- Not releasing Palestinian from the territories occupied in 1948 for political reasons, considering them Israelis and not Palestinians although they are part of the Palestinian National Movement.
All of these measures and conditions prove that prisoners in Israeli Prisons are used as hostages and manipulated as pressure card during negotiations.
Accordingly, Addameer calls all concerned to work on eliminating all discrimination measures and conditions that Israel is putting on Palestinians and Arab prisoners in its prisons and to release all of them according to International Laws dealing with POW.