In light of the very critical impending situation of the ongoing hungerstrike by Palestinian prisoners, the Irish Friends of Palestine are currently working to assist the CEPR to gain signatures of Irish TD’s, MP’s and MLA’s throughout Ireland. We now have a total of 64 Irish parlimentarians who have signed the petition for the CEPR in support of the Palestinian prisoners on hungerstrike. We are proud to say that in the South of Ireland we have every political party represented, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Irish Labour party, Sinn Fein, People Before Profits and Independents. In the North we have 29 Sinn Fein signatures and we hope other parties in the North will also come on board to sign. The petition states the current situation of administrative detention and covers the 4 demands of the prisoners. The petition will also be put to Parlimentarians throughout the European Union.

Palestinian Hunger Strike petition

Official figures show that over 1,500 Palestinian Prisoners have embarked on a hunger strike in protest against their conditions and Israel’s use of administrative detention. The majority began their protest on April 17th, but there are several who have been without food for much longer. Two individuals, Bilal Diab and Tha’er Halahlah, are in severe medical danger having both been without food for over 70 days.

The prisoner support and human rights association, Addameer, states that 20% of the total Palestinian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (and as high as 40% of the male population) have been arrested by the Israeli authorities. There are currently 4,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and around 300 of these are being held in administrative detention. Administrative detention is a military practice that allows authorities to indefinitely detain people without charge or trial and without presenting any evidence against them.

The conditions imposed on prisoners and detainees are shocking. It is usual for prisoners to be held in solitary confinement and frequently denied visits from their family. Those in solitary confinement are held in a cell no larger than two and a half square metres, and which contains only a mattress and blanket. Detainees are permitted only one hour of sunlight and fresh air per day, and have their legs and hands cuffed during this time. In one of the most reported cases, Abdullah Barghouti has spent nine years in solitary confinement.

Acknowledging these factors, we, the undersigned, call for an immediate response to the Palestinian non-violent protests. The current situation of Palestinians in Israeli jails is unacceptable. We call on both the Israeli government and international actors to recognise the following demands of prisoners:

1) That International Law and its provisions with regard to administrative detention are respected.

2) That Israel ends its policy of administrative detention.

3) That Israel ends its policy of keeping prisoners in solitary confinement.

4) That prisoners are allowed to see their families.

Signed: