Hunger Strike: Administration Increases Repressive Measures

Prison Administration Increases Repressive Measures Against Palestinian Hunger-Strikers

Palestinian prisoners confirmed on Tuesday that they will continue their hunger strike despite Israeli authorities escalating a series of punitive measures against the hunger-strikers.

The Palestinian strikers told lawyer Fouad Sultani that they are determined to continue the strike until achieving their demands - to end administrative detention, solitary confinement, collective punishment, night raids and to obtain other basic rights.

The strikers added that the prison administration has increased its repressive measures in order to undermine their will and stop the strike. Thus, it has confiscated personal belongings including all electric appliances such as radio and television, and stopped family visits and anything else that may connect them with the outside world.

In addition, they have several times raided the prisoners' rooms in Nafha prison at night and taken them to isolation cells, held "disciplinary" trials and imposed INS 250 fines against each of them, in addition to putting them in solitary confinement for a number of days and denying them exercise time.

Despite all these brutal and illegal measures, the Palestinian prisoners have confirmed that they are continuing their heroic path of resistance until their demands are met.

The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Britain said in a statement on Tuesday that the strikers' demands are legitimate, and called on the free world and Arab and Muslim people to support their battle and pressure their governments to defend the prisoners’ issues.

The human rights organization also stated that the Israeli Prison Administration had moved the hunger-strikers, threatening to impose other oppressive new measures to force them to unconditionally end their protest.

Released prisoner Ammar Oweiwi, who spent 25 years in the occupation prisons, stated that the prisoners' movement is going to step up the strike by stopping drinking water, pointing out that the movement's leaders are being arrested by the IOF to weaken the movement.

He added that the prisoners are in serious need for more support, and massive and effective solidarity activities.

This hunger strike is the broadest strike since 2004, due to the increased pressure on the prisoners since 2007 especially after the capture of Shalit. The Shalit law was not annulled after Shalit was handed over in a prisoner exchange deal. One of the demands of the hunger strikers is the annulment of this law, by which captives are denied family visits.

25/4/2012

ENDS

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