WILPF Message In Support Of The Palestinian Political Prisoners

This statement is a message to the international community and the United Nations to exert pressure on the Israeli occupying authority to take measures to release all Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers. These prisoners include 58 women who have had their human rights violated, and have been on a hunger strike.   

Read or download the statement below, or read the original by WILPF here. 
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We, the undersigned, are the participants of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom’s convening Reclaiming the United Nations as a peace organisation taking place in Geneva, April 26-28, 2017.

We show solidarity and support to the Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centres including men, women and children who are on their eleventh day of hunger strike. They are striking in order to call for their minimum rights of family visitations, medical treatment, ending the policy of solitary confinement and the right to education and dignity while imprisoned.

We have currently over 6,500 prisoners of which at least 500 are being administratively arrested and detained without due process, without charge or trial. There are currently over 300 children and 56 women of whom 13 are under eighteen years of age.

Palestinian prisoners suffer from ill treatment, humiliation and over 90% of them are subjected to some form of torture while under interrogation. Women are being regularly strip searched and treated with utmost disrespect for their dignity. This is in violation of international human rights law and humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949.

We call on the international community to exert all pressure on the Israeli occupying authority to immediately take measures to release all Palestinian political prisoners unconditionally. Also to call on the high contracting parties to the four Geneva Conventions to “respect and ensure respect” in accordance with the legal obligations under international humanitarian law.

We call on the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the United Nations Security Council and the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council to immediately intervene with the Israeli occupying authority to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Palestinian political prisoners who will continue with their struggle until all their demands are being met.

We the undersigned write to bring this issue to the attention of the international community. This is a message of the peace lovers and freedom lovers all over the world to adopt the prisoners’ message and support their legitimate demands for dignity and freedom.