Graphic for Palestinian Political Prisoners’
Day, 17 April 2012

Khader Adnan’s 66 days of hunger strike under administrative detention, without charge or trial, sparked global discussion, outrage, and movement – perhaps the largest ever seen in the long history of the Palestinian prisoners‘ struggle – as Adnan’s courage, steadfastness and strength inspired solidarity the world over. During that time, it was on many occasions expressed that Khader Adnan should be charged, or released. Administrative detention is a particularly appalling mechanism of political detention – based on secret evidence, with no cognizable charges and no opportunity to confront said ‘evidence’ – used arbitrarily by Israel to hold Palestinian organizers for six-month renewable periods.

The abolition of administrative detention (a call which has been taken up by Amnesty International) is a long-term demand of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement – and Israel’s use of this system violates international law. However, it must be noted that “being charged” in the Israeli military courts, the justice system that governs Palestinians in the occupied West Bank of Palestine, is in no way a solution for Palestinian political prisoners. Any trial provided to a Palestinian political prisoner under such a system is fundamentally unjust and a mechanism of perpetuation of occupation. The military courts are not an alternative to administrative detention; instead, administrative detention is one piece of the structure of mass imprisonment and military rule constructed by the occupation. Given the prominence of the “charge or release” conversation in Khader Adnan’s case, it is important to explore what being “charged” in Israel’s military courts means for Palestinians under occupation and apartheid.

Out of 4,489 Palestinian political prisoners currently held in Israeli jails, 309, including Khader Adnan, are held under administrative detention. Imprisonment is a fact of life for Palestinians;over 40% of Palestinian men in the West Bank have spent time in Israeli detention or prisons. There are no Palestinian families that have not been touched by the scourge of mass imprisonment as a mechanism of suppression.

Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails come from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, and Israel. All – including the Palestinians of ’48, who hold Israeli citizenship – face deeply unjust structures throughout the process of arrest, charge, trial and sentencing. Far from being an objective, neutral or beneficient system for Palestinians, the Israeli court system is part and parcel of the mechanism of occupation, bolstering and serving as a direct arm of military/state power in enforcing occupation control over Palestinian lives and land.

Over 2,500 military orders govern the West Bank. The “Order Regarding Security Provisions [Consolidated Version] (Judea and Samaria)” grants the Israeli military “the authority to arrest and prosecute Palestinians from the West Bank for so-called ‘security’ offenses,” notes Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association. Another military order, issued in August 1967 and still in place today, criminalizes organizing protests, assemblies or vigils, waving flags and political symbols, and printing political material, and “also deems any acts of influencing public opinion as prohibited ‘political incitement’, and under the heading of ‘support to a hostile organization,’ prohibits any activity that demonstrates sympathy for an organization deemed illegal under military orders.”

The Israeli military retains for itself the right to declare any Palestinian organization ‘illegal’ and thus prosecute membership or association with that organization. Most Palestinian political parties, including Islamic Jihad (which is one of the four largest political parties in Palestine), as well as countless labour unions, student groups, women’s organizations, and other sectoral groups, fall squarely into the category of ‘illegal organizations’ and a large number of Palestinian political prisoners who have been “charged and tried,” are serving sentences for ‘membership in an illegal organization,’ ‘support for a hostile organization’ and similar charges.

In the Israeli military courts, the charge of ‘membership in an illegal organization’ carries no maximum sentence, although “a military court decision instead set… a precedent that the minimum penalty is 24 months’ imprisonment. In fact some Palestinians, such as Ahmad Sa’adat, have been sentenced to as much as 30 years’ imprisonment on such charges. Under Israeli criminal law, the maximum penalty is one year…”

Palestinians facing military courts are often confronted with secret evidence; can be denied access to lawyers for up to 90 days; can be held for up to 2 years “until the end of legal proceedings;” and confront vague and non-specific charge sheets. It should be noted that settlers in the West Bank do not face this system of military courts; they, instead are directed into the Israeli criminal justice system, with much higher protections for the accused and much lower sentencing ranges. Addameer notes one particularly egregious example of this disparity: “On 21 January 2011, Israeli settler Nahum Korman who beat an 11-year-old Palestinian child, Helmi Shusha, to death, was sentenced to 6 months of community service. On the same day, Suad Ghazal, a 15-year-old Palestinian girl accused of attempting to stab an Israeli settler was sentenced to 6 and a half years in prison.”

Israeli military trial judges are active members of the Israeli military; many are former military-court prosecutors, and not all military judges are required to hold completed legal training.

It must be noted that the net effect of “trying” a Palestinian for membership in Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hamas, or for that matter, Fateh, all of which remain illegal organizations under the arbitrary Israeli military orders governing the West Bank, is to place that person in prison for a minimum of two years for membership in a political party. Rather than encouraging such a structure as an alternative to administrative detention, it is incumbent upon those of us who would stand in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners to recognize that administrative detention is one piece of an entire system that exists in order to buttress occupation and undermine Palestinian existence, resistance, and organization. In order to build solidarity, we must refuse to accept as normal or legitimate the criminalization of Palestinian resistance and politics by the Israeli occupation.

Palestinians from Jerusalem, in particular those from East Jerusalem occupied in 1967, face a dual system of law, usually being held for interrogation under the military system before transfer to the Israeli civil system for trial, but under the category of ‘security prisoner.’ Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, prior to 2005, were subject to the same military orders as prevail in the West Bank. Following the 2005 “disengagement,” Palestinians from Gaza abducted by the Israeli military are now held as ‘unlawful combatants,’ and subject to an administrative detention scheme with no six-month limits.  Palestinian political prisoners who are citizens of Israel are charged as ‘security’ offenders in the Israeli civil system, depriving them of rights afforded to criminal defendants. ‘Security offenders’ may be held for 60 days without being charged and denied access to a lawyer for three weeks. They are subject to the same interrogators from the Israeli Security Agency as are prisoners from the West Bank and Gaza – and thus the same tactics of abuse and inhumane treatment amounting to torture.

The Israeli court systems – certainly the military system, but also the civil ‘security’ system – are no solution for Palestinian prisoners. Instead, those systems are mandated to enforce the rule (and the illegitimate “law”) of occupation and apartheid. 

Khader Adnan is the latest in a long line of heroes and heroines of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement. Over the years, many of them have used the hunger strike – Adnan the longest – as a powerful weapon of dissent and resistance, placing their bodies on the line to confront the occupation within its own prisons. Most recently, in October 2011, hundreds of prisoners engaged in ahunger strike for over twenty days demanding the end of isolation and solitary confinement. Many of those prisoners have been held under administrative detention; many thousands more through the ‘trials’ and ‘convictions’ of the Israeli security regime. All of those prisoners need continuing support and solidarity, and the growth of such solidarity is one way in which Khader Adnan’s hunger strike, and his courage, will continue to challenge and confront the occupation.

An international coalition of prisoners’ rights and Palestine solidarity organizations have called for global mobilization for April 17, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day (and what will be the day of Adnan’s release.) Such a global mobilization is also an opportunity to link the struggle of Palestinian prisoners in mutual solidarity with political prisoners elsewhere, from Leonard Peltier to Ricardo Palmera to countless others in the jails of the U.S., Canada, and the world.  This includes Palestinian political prisoners in international jails; the 65th day of Khader Adnan’s hunger strike was also the 9th anniversary of Dr. Sami al-Arian’s arrest. Al-Arian remains under house arrest in Virginia today, years after he was acquitted on the majority of charges – and convicted of nothing – by a jury, because he refuses to be forced into becoming an informant on the Palestinian community.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF : by Charlotte Kates on February 23, 2012

The call to action for April 17 states:

“We must not allow Khader’s struggle to pass, like so many before his, as one more brave stand crushed by the armed might of the Israeli apartheid regime, unremarkable and inconsequential. Rather let this historic moment mark the beginning of a revitalized global movement for Palestinian prisoners, their rights, their families, and their struggle. Together, we can make it so.”

Related articles

• Palestinian political prisoner Khader Adnan near death on his fiftieth day on hunger strike. (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• URGENT ACTION NEEDED FOR POLITICAL PRISONER KHADER ADNAN (61 Days on Hunger Strike) (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Palestinian ‘ends hunger strike’ (bbc.co.uk)
• Despite the Announcement of a Deal Limiting Khader Adnan’s Detention, Addameer Reiterates its Urgent Concern for His Health (altahrir.wordpress.com)
• Khader Adnan (prisonsofshame.wordpress.com)

•  

  20:30 until 01:00

• Hello once again Fraternal Brothers and sisters, Friends and Followers.It is our humble privilege to once again host a Charity quiz night on Easter Sunday, 8th April 2012 for two year Chloe Coles.Chloe, from Maghera, Co.Derry has suffered from severe brain damage from… birth and requires round the clock care, was recently featured in the Irish News. Her father Jonathan who has had to give up work to care for Chloe recently applied to the Family Fund in Northern Ireland for a new seat for Chloe. The seat is a specialised piece of equipment to allow Chloe to live more comfortably day to day; it supports her body and limbs which unlike any other two year old Chloe cannot do on her own. The Family Fund in Northern Ireland which gives grants to families of disabled children for essential items including washing machines, bedding and clothing and travel assistance for struggling parents to and from hospital whilst visiting their sick children, recently announced that it had run out of money. The family fund which is financed by the Northern Ireland department of Health was cut from £1.77million in 2010-2011 to £1.57million in 2011-2012. What compounds this situation even more is that people living in England, Scotland and Wales will still continue to receive grants. Strangford MLA, Kieran McCarthy who sits on the assembly health committee described the situation as “Scandalous”, whilst the Health minister Edwin Pootssaid the decision to cut funding was “regrettable”.That’s where we all CAN make a difference. In our grand motto of friendship, unity and Christian Charity we are appealing to you all to either come and support our event, make a donation (regardless of the size), collect sponsorship, or donate prizes for the raffle. If you would like to host your own Charity quiz night for Chloe, please let us know. We want to make this the most successful event we have held, and our greatest desire is to ensure that Chloe receives the seat she and her family so badly need, The Worthy President, Management committee and Division Members AOH Division 284 See more

 

AOH Hall, Newry

 

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POSTED ON BEHALF OF :  Public event · By Aoh Newry and Aodhán Bennett

 

 

Atgaa, 10, and her sister Reemya, 8, are about to be married to men in their 60s. Atgaa will be her husband’s fourth wife. Their wedding celebrations are scheduled for this week and will take place in the town of Fayaadah Abban in Qasim, Saudi Arabia.

The girls are getting married because their financially struggling father needs the money that their dowries will provide: young girls of this age can fetch as much as $40,000 each.

Many readers might be shocked at this news. How can it be legal? The answer is that Saudi Arabia has no minimum age for marriage, and it is perfectly legal to marry even an hour-old child.

Three Saudi ministries share the blame for allowing and facilitating child marriages. The health ministry is tasked with conducting genetic tests for couples considering marriage. Saudi law requires potential brides and grooms to provide certificates of genetic testing before marriages can officially proceed.

The justice ministry regulates the marriage process and issues licences. And the interior ministry registers families and documents the relationships between family members. It is also the most powerful government agency; it has authority over all other ministries and can direct their activities at will.

As with many pernicious practices, child marriage would not exist without tacit support and approval from the country’s leadership. Far from condemning child marriage, the Saudi monarchy itself has a long history of marrying very young girls.

Sarah, who is now a brilliant Saudi doctor, told me she was barely 12 when the late prince Sultan proposed to her after seeing her walking at a military base where she had lived with her father. Luckily, her father had the wits to claim that she was chronically ill, at which point the proposal was swiftly rescinded.

Camel festivals, held at his time of the year in Saudi Arabia, witness the practice called akheth (“taking”) in which girls aged 14 to 16 are “gifted” to the usually elderly members of the monarchy for a few days or weeks. This practice, reminiscent of the infamous droit du seigneur in medieval Europe, is maintained to this day with the monarchy’s protection.

Saudi Arabia has probably the highest number of child marriages in the Middle East and yet there has been almost no international outrage or objection directed at the practice. I have personally sent two letters to Ann Veneman, the director of United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), regarding the Saudi practice and asking her to make her views on the issue public, as she did with Yemen.

Instead, Unicef lauded Saudi efforts to protect child rights and even honoured Prince Naif, whose interior ministry is one of the departments overseeing child marriages. So no wonder the Saudi monarchy feels confident that such a practice can continue.

The US government has been similarly indifferent to the plight of child brides in the kingdom. In April 2009, I wrote to William Burns, the undersecretary of state, regarding the case of Sharooq, 8 – also from Qasim. I never heard back from him.

At a public conference, I asked a former senator, Chuck Hagel (seated next to Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former head of Saudi intelligence), if he personally or the US would accept the friendship and alliance of a family that allows child marriage. The answer was nothing short of shocking: “We cannot decide for other countries what is appropriate or not,” he said.

So far, no UN body, such as Unicef or the human rights council, has issued a single statement condemning child marriages in Saudi Arabia [see footnote]. In fact, not one country has made a statement in the human rights council on this issue, and not a single western government has asked the Saudi monarchy to stop the practice. The ugly tradition of child marriage thus continues with the help of the monarchy and its apologists in the west.

If any governments, especially in the west, are seriously concerned with this barbaric and medieval practice, they should ban the heads of Saudi justice, interior and health ministries from entering their countries. If this action were taken against government leaders facilitating crimes against children we would soon see a resolution of this issue.

Saudi Arabia must be pressured to set a minimum age for marriage and save children like Atgaa and Reemya.

• This footnote was added on 15 November 2011. Unicef would like to make clear that a statement was issued in 2009 by Ann Veneman, then its executive director, expressing deep concern about child marriage in Saudi Arabia.

WITH MANY THANKS TO :  Ali al-Ahmed

Related articles

• Why is no one protecting Saudi Arabia’s child brides? (guardian.co.uk)
• Saudi Arabia names Iraq envoy (nation.com.pk)
• Saudi Arabia – Night & Day (jellylondon.wordpress.com)
• Saudi Arabia From My Window (fictionfreedom.wordpress.com)
• Saudi King Blasts Russia and China for UN Veto on Syria (ibtimes.com)

STOP POLITICIAL POLICING

Despite this Mr Mc Geough has had to be admitted to hospital on severaloccasions because of post-operative complications with “Stents” which werefitted in his circulatory system (5 have been fitted to date).He has recently been moved from the prison to hospital under a veil of secrecy,causing his wife and family quite some distress. See Attachment 2.
Martin Corey – a male prisoner in his 50’s currently beingheld without charge or explanation on the orders of Owen Patterson MP,Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who it seems over-rules the electedParliament of Northern Ireland, including the Minister for Justice David Ford.See Attachment 3.
Tony Taylor – a male “Remand” Prisoner in his 50’s. Tony hadhis spleen removed several years ago and still has shrapnel in his body from abomb-blast which occurred just prior to his spleen having to be removed. SeeAttachment 4.
Brian Shivers- a male Prisoner Terminally Ill suffering fromCystic Fibrosis and been told by specialists that he has five years or less tolive (if given adequate medical treatment). Brian has just been sentenced to 25years in prison, effectively a death sentence given his health condition. SeeAttachment 5.

 
History of Brendans illness “Ankylosing Spondylitis”. Thecampaign to free him: Re: The medical facilities at HMP Maghaberry. See Attachment 6.
Other useful contacts t etc. Included in Attachment 8.
Conclusion:For the best part of 2 years now, Irish Prisoners in HMPMaghaberry have been involved in some form of protest over conditions withinthe Prison. Points of particular confrontation would appear to be the continueduse of forced strip searching of Prisoners and continued controlled movement.These practices continue despite an agreement being reached between Prisonersand Prison authorities in August 2011. The agreement was reached with the helpof outside mediators including clergymen, but has so far not been implementedby the Prison authorities. Apart from the aforementioned circumstances ofPrisoners being incarcerated in HMP Maghaberry several other Prisoners andtheir families have alleged that a system of regular brutality and isolationprevails within the Prison. Recently released Prisoners Damian Mc Laughlin and Colin Duffy have gone onrecord to detail the situation within the Prison. See Attachment 8.
It is my own professional opinion, having studied Medicine at Degree level, that notonly are the Healthcare “facilities” at Maghaberry inadequate, but I believethat they are in fact “non-existent”. For example: The ex prisoner BrendanLillis being given approx. 10 days to live due to being unable to tolerate foodof fluids and the “Maghaberry” Medical staff being unable to even cannulate avein for an intravenous infusion of potentially life saving fluids.Mr Lillis has since been released to the care of outside Medical facilities andhis family.
It is my sincere hope that UNHRW will take positive actionRe: Maghaberry Prison, as to date all other avenues that have been exploredhave proved to be unhelpful.Particularly unhelpful has been Amnesty International Ireland who despite beingcontacted several times about ths situation have chosen either to ignore theconcerns and furthermore, recently deleting legitimate comments and questionsfrom their Facebook page and banning anyone from their page who raises even theleast concern about the situation in HMP Maghaberry.
Bearing in mind that the eerily similar situation in theH-Blocks of HMP Maze resulted in the deaths on Hunger-Strike of 10 Prisoners, Iimplore you to investigate the situation in Maghaberry Prison as matter ofgreat urgency.
 
Yours faithfully
 
Mr Nollaig Connolly O.D.P. M.T.O.  
 
 Linked Attachments
Attachemnt 1 Re:Marian Price Mc Glinchey.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/01/19/the-case-of-marian-price/#.Tz_5vyfbN-w.facebook

https://www.facebook.com/update_security_info.php?wizard=1#!/notes/fermanaghcavan-csm/statement-on-marian-prices-internment-and-removal-to-hydebank/191757110925624

 
Attachment 2 Re: Gerry Mc Geough.

http://seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/secretary-of-state-refuses-to-meet-derry-mla-on-price-and-mcgeough-prison-cases/http://www.tyronetimes.co.uk/news/local/mcgeough_to_learn_fate_over_jail_term_1_3544956#.T0TWcw7tsRA.facebook

http://seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/statement-from-gerry-mcgeough-on-his-one-year-incarceration-today-in-maghaberry-prison-2182012/

Attachment 3 Re:Martin Corey.

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/freemartincoreyhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Release-Martin-Corey/173309709401159?ref=ts&sk=wall#!/pages/Release-Martin-Corey/173309709401159

Attachment 4 Re: Tony Taylor
http://www.derryjournal.com/news/local/my_husband_will_die_in_there_1_3418869

http://www.republicannetwork.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=236%3Acogus-pow-tony-taylor-forced-on-dirty-protest-on-committal-wing&catid=44%3Aprisoners-support&Itemid=30

Attachment 5 Re:Brian Shivers.

http://seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/statement-from-the-family-friends-of-republican-prisoners-maghaberry-20th-feb-2012/

Attachment 6 Re:Brenda Lillis.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Friends.Of.Brendan.Lillis/

http://www.thejournal.ie/republican-prisoner-brendan-lillis-set-free-from-prison-205033-Aug2011/

Attacment 7 Re: Statements from recently released ex prisoners Damian Mc Laugling & Colin Duffy.
http://friendsofcolinduffy.com/ColinspeaksoutaboutMaghaberry.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Friends.Of.Brendan.Lillis/#!/mandy.mccabe.duffy/posts/2989540852043http://www.32csm.net/2012/02/32csm-female-member-beaten-to-pulp-by.html#!/2012/01/echoes-of-1981-from-andersonstown-news.htmlAttachment 8 Helpful Link to Families & Friends of Prisoners and other contactshttp://republicanprisonersmaghaberry.com/default.aspxAttachment 9  Useful Contact for Northern Ireland Assembly.Emmett DoyleParliamentary Advisor to Pat Ramsey MLA.
emmetdoyle@niassembly.gov.uk

St Pauli Maghaberry Awareness Group Deutschland 
contact details stpaulimag@yahoo.ie.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF :  Nollaig StPauli Connolly

Related articles

• Statement from The Family & Friends of Republican prisoners Maghaberry. 22nd Feb 2012 (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Secretary of State refuses to meet Derry MLA on Price and McGeough prison cases (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Statement from Gerry McGeough on his one year incarceration today in Maghaberry prison – 2/18/2012. (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Statement from the Family & Friends of Republican prisoners, Maghaberry. 20th Feb 2012 (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Statement on Marian Price’s internment and removal to Hydebank (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)

 

 

Saturday

•  

  19:00 until 22:00

• Suburbia’s all-star travel team, the Suburban Brawl, hosts upstate New York’s Hellions of Troyfor an evening of hard-hitting derby. Doors open at 6pm, the action starts at 7pm.General admission is $10; $20 for VIP seating. Military discount $2 per ticket at the door wi…th military ID. Group discounts are available online. Tickets are available at the door or purchase in advance at http://suburbiarollerderby.ticketleap.com/brawl-vs-hellions/For additional bout dates and more information, please visit our website at www.suburbiarollerderby.com, like us on Facebook.com/suburbiarollerderby, or follow us on Twitter @suburbiard. See more

 

Yonkers PAL

127 North Broadway – One block South of Ashburton Ave, Yonkers, NY 10701

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POSTED ON BEHALF OF :  Public event · By Suburbia Roller Derby

 

 

Related articles

• Meet the 2012 Board of Directors (pioneervalleyrollerderby.wordpress.com)
• Enzian Theater: Crispin Hellion Glover’s Big Slide Show Part 2 (thedailycity.com)
• Roller Derby Jingle Bell Brawl (slog.thestranger.com)
• The Cherub and The Hellion (A Horror Story…or is it?) (theskyechronicles.wordpress.com)

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• Slash Stormont Not Services ! (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Eirigi New Year Statement (thefivedemands.org)
• Óglach Patricia Black (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Thank You Ballyfermot College of FE!!! (steffcaffrey.wordpress.com)

• Marian Price moved from Maghaberry to Hydebank (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Marian Price being held is ‘internment’: Priest (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Statement on Marian Price’s internment and removal to Hydebank (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Breaking News !!! Regarding Marian Price ” Urgent ” ! (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)
• Secretary of State refuses to meet Derry MLA on Price and McGeough prison cases (seachranaidhe1.wordpress.com)