Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners

April 17th marks Palestinian prisoner's day, and this year there is particular urgency in calling for action to protect prisoners from COVID-19. Please take a moment to write to the Foreign Office using our template letter below.

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Dear Dominic Raab, April 17th marks Palestinian prisoners’ day. Israel has unfortunately set a long precedence of torture, physical violence, medical negligence, and inhumane prison conditions. Palestinian children are especially vulnerable to the traumatic experience of military detention, and today there exists a new threat from the spread of COVID-19. Defence for Children International (DCI-Palestine) has called for an immediate release of child prisoners, stating that: “There is no way Israeli prison authorities can ensure the health and well-being of Palestinian child detainees as long as they continue to be in a custodial detention setting.” – Brad Parker, DCI-Palestine The majority of prisoners are cramped in tight quarters, where they cannot practice any form of social distancing, and are left without the necessary cleaning equipment and medical care to ensure their safety. Israel has a long history of routine negligence inside detention centres, even before the COVID-19 crisis. In 2019, five Palestinian prisoners died in captivity - three of them as a result of deliberate medical negligence - while hundreds continue to suffer from chronic diseases that go untreated. Ill-treatment of Palestinian children as young as twelve remains “widespread, systematic, and institutionalised” according to a UNICEF report. The overcrowded and unsanitary conditions make Israeli prisons dangerous breeding grounds for COVID-19. Cases have been reported of prisoners being denied access to cleaning products and asked to use socks as face masks. Despite a multitude of guidelines and recommendations issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and human rights experts, on the need to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the context of detention, conditions in Israeli prisons continue to deteriorate. Instead of taking action to save lives, Israel has introduced repressive measures impacting on the fundamental rights of Palestinians. In early March 2020, the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) halted all family and lawyers’ visits for Palestinian prisoners, citing this measure as a COVID-19 precaution. This has prevented Palestinians from accessing necessary legal support and basic social connection. Furthermore, all trial proceedings in military courts are postponed indefinitely, while Palestinians undergoing pre-trial detention remain incarcerated - deepening the violations against their liberty and their rights to a fair and speedy trial. Please urgently raise these issues and call on Israel to release Palestinian political prisoners – including all children – to ensure their safety. Pease demand: 1) The release of all Palestinian political prisoners to ensure their safety from the rapidly spreading pandemic, particularly those who are more vulnerable and more susceptible to the disease, such as children, the elderly, the sick, and the injured; 2) The release of all Palestinian political prisoners under administrative detention who are detained indefinitely without charge or trail; 3) The release of all Palestinian political prisoners who are nearing the end of their sentences and/or should be released on probation, due to the over-crowded cells and sections of the prisoners; 4) The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) ensures the protection of prisoners through applying the necessary preventive measures against COVID-19, and that prisoners are able to connect with their families through unmonitored phone or video calls.

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Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners