Demonstration Demanding The Release Of Palestinian Political Prisoners To Be Held In Nablus
A demonstration will be held in Nablus on Tuesday 29 December 2009 to demand the release of all Palestinian prisoners.
Almost 8,000 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons. Among them are grassroots activists Jamal Juma’ and
Mohammad Othman from the Stop the Wall Campaign, Adeeb Abu Rahmah and Abdallah Abu Rahmah from the Bil’in Popular
Committee Against the Wall and Settlements and Wa’el Al Faqeeh from the Tanweer Cultural Centre in Nablus, imprisoned
during a recent wave of arrests conducted by the Israeli military targeting the non-violent popular resistance leaders.
Demonstrators will gather outside of the Red Crescent Building and demand the release of Wa’el al Faqeeh, renowned
throughout the Nablus region for his tireless campaigning and non-violent action against the Israeli occupation. He was
taken from his home at 1am on 8 December when 50 Israeli soldiers entered his house in the north of Nablus, aiming their
weapons at Al Faqeeh and his family. Al Faqeeh is now being held at Jelemeh Prison in Haifa, Israel. The prison is
notorious for its imprisonment and ill-treatment of Palestinian political prisoners in particular.
Al Faqeeh, 45 years old, worked with various groups in the Nablus region such as the Nablus Youth Union, the Palestinian
Cultural Enlightenment Forum and many international groups, supporting Palestinian non-violent struggle. He championed
the struggle of Palestinian farmers and villagers, as well as working closely with youth groups in the fields of
education, culture and the arts. His co- ordination work of the yearly olive harvest, as well as year-round organisation
of demonstrations, fund-raising, community-building and educational events has played an instrumental role in the
communities of the region. Favouring grassroots, cross-spectrum peaceful activism to politics, Al Faqeeh has always
strived to bridge political divides between Palestinians.
ENDS