URGENT--FAST IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS--AUGUST 28TH AND 29TH

The Palestine Solidarity Group-Chicago and Al Awda (Palestine Right to Return Coalition)-Chicago is asking all in the Chicagoland area to please join an international call for a fast in solidarity with the thousands of Palestinian political prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli prisons.

WHEN: Saturday, August 28th, 2004, at 7 AM
through Monday, August 30th, 2004, at 7 AM.

WHERE: Directly in front of the Water Tower Place
800 N. Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago.

Co-sponsored by (list in formation): American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Arab American Action Network (AAAN), Centro Sin Fronteras, Chicago Anti-Bashing Network (CABN), Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism (CCAWAR), Church Network for Education on Palestine (CNEP), Comite Exigimos Justicia (CEJ), DePaul Students Against War, DePaul Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), DePaul UMMA (United Muslims Moving Ahead), International Solidarity Movement (ISM)-Chicago, Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), Not In My Name, Palestine Aid Society (PAS), Peace Pledge-Chicago, Southwest Youth Collaborative (SWYC), Students for Social Justice (S4SJ), Tri-Taylor Neighbors for Peace, Voices in the Wilderness.

**We want people to join in the fast, to support those who are fasting, and to help distribute literature about the hunger strike and the other general conditions of occupation in Palestine. Please make posters and banners, and bring your friends and families.

**At the same site, there will be a candlelight vigil on both Saturday and Sunday nights in support of the local fasters and the hunger strikers in Palestine.

**Please email hatem85 (at) yahoo.com or call 773 436 6060 to confirm your participation in the fast, to endorse, or for more information.

**Voices in the Wilderness is also planning a solidarity fast and vigil from September 1st through September 10th at the same address.

**The national announcement, a statement from the Campaign for the Rights of Political Prisoners in Palestine, sample letters to be sent to Israeli and U.S. government officials, humanitarian and medical aid organizations, Amnesty International, and the U.N., and a daily log of the hunger strike are below.

**Please send letters ON A DAILY BASIS. We need to bombard these entities with constant pressure.
_______________________________________________

The National Anti-Apartheid Wall Taskforce and Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, call for a 48-hour fast, August 28th-30th, in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli prisons.

With over 3000 women, men and children prisoners partaking in the hunger strike announced by the leadership of the Imprisoned National Movement on August 15, 2004, the struggle for international peace and justice has entered a crucial phase that obliges all people of conscience to stand in solidarity with those fighting oppression with "empty stomachs."

Hence, support for Palestinian prisoners is inseparable from the worldwide movement against hegemony, racism and war. As the prisoners sacrifice their lives in the name of freedom and dignity, they do so in solidarity with all those who have struggled for social justice in this world.

From Israeli jail cells to the Israeli Apartheid Wall, Palestinians remain prisoners in their own land and isolated from one another as their families, communities and loved ones disappear in Israeli prisons and their homes, towns and villages are destroyed by the Israeli Apartheid Wall and 5.5 million refugees remain exiled from their homeland.

With US unwavering support of Israel and its continued attacks on Iraqi towns, we call on all people to join this fast as a demonstration of opposition to current US foreign policy in the Arab World and its policies of war and racism on all fronts.

In conjunction with the series of events that will be taking place on a national scale in support of those protesting the Republican National Convention in New York, the solidarity fast will take place on the weekend of August 28-29th. Let us challenge injustice collectively as we join the hunger strike in support of Palestinians struggling for justice in Israeli prisons, and in protest against the RNC.

Join the call of solidarity:

- Observe the 48-hour fast from Saturday, August 28 at 7 AM until 7 AM Monday August 30th.
- Sent letters of support to the thousands of prisoners that have been fasting since August 15th by email at: palprisoner (at) yahoo.com or by fax to: (928)-752-8355. Letters will be sent to the prisoners and their families.
- Organize and participate in the local events in support of the protests in NY in opposition to the Republican National Convention.

______________________________________

Campaign for the Rights of Political Prisoners

Palestinian Political Prisoners in Israeli Prisons Begin Hunger Strike

To all Friends and Supporters of Human Rights around the World:

The Committee for the Families of Political Prisoners and Detainees in the West Bank, representing 7,500 political prisoners currently in Israeli prisons, is seeking the support of the international community in its campaign against the gross violations of their rights that the prisoners are enduring and against the appalling conditions under which they are being detained.

Political prisoners in Israeli prisons will be commencing a hunger strike on Sunday, August 15, 2004 to protest their conditions. They complain that the conditions they experience are reminiscent of the former Abu Ghoraib facility in Iraq, which gained worldwide notoriety recently for its treatment of detainees.

Israeli Public Security Minister, Tzachi Hanegbi, told reporters at a press conference in Jerusalem on August 13th that the prisoners "can strike for a day, a month, even starve to death, we will not respond to their demands".

Some of the conditions that the prisoners are protesting include:

· Arbitrary and indiscriminate beating of prisoners in their cells, in prison courtyards and during transportation to and from prisons.

· Arbitrary and indiscriminate firing of tear gas into prisoner's cells and prison courtyards and intimidation of prisoners by guards entering their cells with guns.

· Humiliating strip searches of prisoners in full view of other prisoners and guards each time they enter or exit their cells.

· Subjecting prisoners to solitary confinement for excessive periods of time, for months and even years.

· Arbitrary imposition of financial penalties on prisoners for minor infractions, arbitrary revocation of visitation rights and extended confinement to cells as punishment for minor infractions such as singing or speaking too loudly.

· Confining children with adult prisoners and political prisoners with criminals.

· Withholding or delaying medical treatment and the provision of medication to sick detainees.

· Severely restricting the category of family members entitled to visit prisoners thus denying visitation rights to other close family members.

· Arbitrary denial of travel permits to family members of prisoners living in the West Bank or Gaza so that they cannot travel to prisons to see their relatives.

· Imposing conditions on travel for family members and obstacles that result in travel of a few hours being prolonged to 16 or 17 hours for a 45-minute visit.

· Conducting humiliating strip searches of visiting family members even though they are usually separated from the prisoners by a full glass barrier as well as a wire mesh barrier.

· Providing such poor visitation facilities that prisoners find it difficult to see or hear their loved ones.

· Maintaining prisoners on near starvation diets that are insufficient to sustain health.

· Applying rules concerning items that prisoners may receive from their families arbitrarily and inconsistently, on the whim of the guards, with each visit.

· Withdrawing studying privileges that in the past allowed prisoners to continue their high school or university studies through correspondence courses.

The treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israel violates both international and Israeli laws, as well as rules governing the administration of Israeli prisons. The Committee for the Families is planning a series of activities in the West Bank to coincide with the start of the hunger strike on August 15th. A press conference in Ramallah will kick off the campaign.

Hunger strike solidarity tents will be set up in the center of all the cities in the West Bank and in all the Red Cross Centers and will be occupied by the public around the clock for as long as the prisoners' strike lasts. The Palestinian Prime Minister's office has declared August 18th a National Day for Prisoners for all Palestinians to show solidarity with the prisoners. All government ministers, members of the Palestinian National Council and heads of all political parties will join the public in the Solidarity Tents and fast in support of the prisoners.

We ask you also to register your protests by letter, fax, email, or telephone to the officials listed below. Ask them to stop the harsh treatment of Palestinian political prisoners and to accede to the demands of the striking prisoners so that the conditions under which they are imprisoned are consistent with international norms of human rights and basic decency.

Also, please register your protest with your own political representatives and governments ministers.

Please send a copy of your protest message to alhureih (at) yahoo.com. Sent letters of support to the thousands of prisoners that have been fasting since August 15th by email at: palprisoner (at) yahoo.com or by fax to: (928)-752-8355.

With much appreciation for your valued support,

Mahmoud Ziadi, General Secretariat,
Families of Palestinian Political Prisoners
PO Box 2151, Ramallah, Palestine.
______________________________________________

Sample Letter to government officials in Israel and the U.S.:
____________

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am writing to protest, in the strongest possible terms, the appalling conditions under which Palestinian political prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons. According to reports by the prisoners, they, as well as their families, are being subjected to gross violations of their rights.

At a press conference held in Jerusalem on August 13th by the Public Security Minister, Tzachi Hanegbi, the Minister did not deny any of the complaints filed by the prisoners. In fact, he insinuated that they deserve the treatment that they are receiving in the prisons, thus corroborating the complaints of the prisoners. The treatment that prisoners are subjected to violates both Israeli and international laws.

Minister Hanegbi took the position that the prisoners "can strike for a day, a month, even starve to death," as far as he is concerned. Instead of such an intransigent and arrogant position, the government of Israel and its main supporter, the government of the United States, should immediately investigate the complaints of the prisoners and take immediate action to stop any violations of the rights of the prisoners and their families.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your City and Country of Residence]

Send to:
1. Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon,
Fax: +972-2-670-5475, email: pm_eng (at) pmo.gov.il

2. Minister of Defense, Shaul Mofaz,
Fax: +972-3-696-2757, email: sar (at) mod.gov.il or
pniot (at) mod.gov.il

3. Minister of Justice, Yosef Lapid,
Fax: +972-2-628-5492, email: sar (at) justice.gov.il

4. Minister of Interior Security, Tzahi Haneghi,
Fax: +972-2-584-7872, email: sar (at) mops.gov.il

5. The Israeli Embassy in your country:
Addresses of Israeli embassies worldwide can be found at:
www.embassyworld.com/embassy/isreal1.htm or at the Government of Israel website: www.info.gov.il/FirstGov/

6. Contacting the U.S. Embassy, Israel
email: ac5 (at) bezeqint.net
Phone number: 972-3-5197575

U.S. Consulate General, Jerusalem
Phone number: 972-2-6227230 / 972-2-6253288
Fax: 972-2-6259270
Email: uscongenjerusalem (at) state.gov

7. United States President George Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
Fax: 202-456-2461

Voice Mail
Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121

E-Mail
President George W. Bush: president (at) whitehouse.gov
Vice President Richard Cheney: vice.president (at) whitehouse.gov

8. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Direct phone number: 202-647-7098

Main Switchboard: 202-647-4000

Public Communication Division:
Phone number: 202-647-6575

Fax: (202) 261-8577, email: secretary (at) state.gov

9. U.S. Congress members
Congressional directory can be found at:
congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq

______________________________________________

Sample Letter to medical organizations and humanitarian aid groups:
____________

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am writing to ask that your organization send medical professionals to observe and administer emergency medical attention to the Palestinian political prisoners who have been on a hunger strike in Israeli jails since August 15th, 2004. These women, children, and men are protesting, in the strongest possible terms, the appalling conditions under which Palestinian political prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons. According to reports by the prisoners, they, as well as their families, are being subjected to gross violations of their rights.

At a press conference held in Jerusalem on August 13th by the Public Security Minister, Tzachi Hanegbi, the Minister did not deny any of the complaints filed by the prisoners. In fact, he insinuated that they deserve the treatment that they are receiving in the prisons, thus corroborating the complaints of the prisoners. The treatment that prisoners are subjected to violates both Israeli and international laws.

Minister Hanegbi took the position that the prisoners "can strike for a day, a month, even starve to death," as far as he is concerned. Instead of such an intransigent and arrogant position, the government of Israel should immediately investigate the complaints of the prisoners and take immediate action to stop any violations of the rights of the prisoners and their families.

I understand that these Palestinian political prisoners are risking their lives to protest the violation of their rights, especially since they are past Day 10 of this hunger strike. Please urge your organization to send doctors and other medical personnel to the prisons in Palestine to insure that these prisoners' health issues are monitored by respected, independent medical professionals. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your City and Country of Residence]

Send to:
1. Physicians for Social Responsibility
Fax: 202.667.4201, email: psrnatl (at) psr.org

2. Doctors Without Borders
Fax: +32 (2) 280.01.73, email: www.msf.org

3. International Committee of the Red Cross
Fax: ++ 41 (22) 733 20 57, email: jerusalem.jer (at) icrc.org

4. Physicians for Human Rights
(Fax) 617.695.0307, email: phrusa (at) phrusa.org
_____________________________________________

Sample Letter to Amnesty International and the United Nations:
____________

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am writing to ask that your organization send observers to monitor the conditions that have compelled thousands of Palestinian political prisoners to take part in a hunger strike in Israeli jails, which started on August 15th, 2004. These women, children, and men are protesting, in the strongest possible terms, the appalling conditions under which Palestinian political prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons. According to reports by the prisoners, they, as well as their families, are being subjected to gross violations of their rights.

At a press conference held in Jerusalem on August 13th by the Public Security Minister, Tzachi Hanegbi, the Minister did not deny any of the complaints filed by the prisoners. In fact, he insinuated that they deserve the treatment that they are receiving in the prisons, thus corroborating the complaints of the prisoners. The treatment that prisoners are subjected to violates both Israeli and international laws.

Minister Hanegbi took the position that the prisoners "can strike for a day, a month, even starve to death," as far as he is concerned. Instead of such an intransigent and arrogant position, the government of Israel should immediately investigate the complaints of the prisoners and take immediate action to stop any violations of the rights of the prisoners and their families.

I understand that these Palestinian political prisoners are risking their lives to protest the violation of their rights, especially since they are past Day 10 of this hunger strike. It would be extremely important that you published a statement decrying the human rights violations by the Israeli government and prison authorities at this time. Please make sure, as is your organization's mission, that the human rights of political prisoners throughout the world are upheld, and that this plea from the Palestinian political prisoners is heeded. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your City and Country of Residence]

Send to:
1. Amnesty International
Fax: +44-20-79561157, email: amnestyis (at) amnesty.org
Website www.amnesty.org.il/index.html
Fax number in Tel Aviv: + 972 3 560 33 57

United States Office
Web site www.amnestyusa.org
Telephone +1 212 807 8400
Fax number +1 212 463 9193 or 1 212 627 1451
E-mail admin-us (at) aiusa.org

Amnesty International at the University of Chicago
shkarani (at) uchicago.edu
nlrobins (at) uchicago.edu
m-krausch (at) uchicago.edu

Midwest Regional Office
53 West Jackson, Suite #731
Chicago, IL 60604
phone: (312) 427-2060
fax: (312) 427-2589
aiusamw (at) aiusa.org

2. United Nations
Email: inquiries2 (at) un.org
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Daily diary of the August 2004 Hunger Strike from the Mandela Institute for Human Rights—Palestine
www.mandela-palestine.org/en_strike2004/

Day Nine—23 August, 2004

Israeli Prison Authority imposed severe restrictions in order to hinder lawyer visits and thwart them from meeting Palestinian political prisoners.

Prison clinics try to force prisoners into breaking the strike in return for medical aid.

Prisoners reported inability to move around and extreme difficulty in standing up for the daily count.

Israeli soldiers brutally assault prisoners during transfer to and from military courts.

Infirm prisoners held in Section 5 at Galbou' Prison, including diabetics and some with cardiac problems, joined the hunger strike.

Prison authorities conduct random night raids in all prisons and confiscate mattresses at Ha Darim Prison.

Israeli military authorities transfer 50 Palestinian prisoners from Ashqelon Central Prison to Nafha detention compound. It also transferred Walid Daqqa to the isolation section at Ovik prison.

Day Eight—22 August 2004

Israeli prison authorities transferred the Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council Houssam Khader and Samir Qanttar, the Dean of Lebanese prisoners, to the isolation section at Ovik Prison.

Israeli soldiers, using rifle butts, assaulted a number of Palestinian prisoners who refused to appear in front of the Salem military tribunal with their upper and lower limbs cuffed.

Day Seven—21 August 2004

Guards and soldiers stormed the cells holding Palestinian females at Ramla Prison, conducted a thorough search of the place and isolated female inmates in two separate sections.

Infirm prisoners threatened to join the hunger strike and stop taking their medications as of Monday 23 August 2004.

Prison authorities at Galbou' and Shatta prisons forced the prisoners to strip off their clothes in a degrading manner.

Two prisoners were transferred from Ha Liqdar section at Beer Shiva' Prison to the Ramla Prison hospital.

Israeli prison authorities transferred Tawfic Abu-Na'im, the prisoners' representative at Nafha Prison, to the isolation section (Eischel) at Beer Shiva' prison.

Day Six—20 August 2004

Upon their return from the 'Ofar military court to Nafha Prison on Thursday 19 August 2004, prisoners refused to succumb to strip search and were subjected to brutal beatings.

The administration at Nafha Prison substituted the inmates assigned to work in the corridors with common criminals.

Israeli Prison Authority restricted Palestinian prisoners from carrying out Friday prayers at Ashqelon, Ha Darim and Nafha prisons.

In an attempt to break interconnection among prisoners, the administration at Ashqelon Prison ordered the placement of inmates in isolated cells upon their return from the military court.

Day Five—19 August 2004

Inmates at Shatta Prison, numbering 133, and 610 inmates at Galbou' Prison joined the hunger strike on Thursday 19 August 2004.

Guards and soldiers raided sections at Galbou' and Shatta and confiscated electrical appliances including hot plates, radios, TVs, books and stationary supplies.

The administration at Nafha Prison allowed inmates out for one hour of exercise after four days of hunger strike. On the contrary, the administration at Ha Darim and Shatta prisons restricted their inmates from going out for exercise.

The prison clinic at Shatta conducted a medical exam including "Blood pressure and weight" for striking prisoners. Inmates at Ashqelon Prison underwent a similar exam.

The administrations at Ha Darim and Nafha confiscated personal belongings from striking inmates including cooking utensils but left them with the mattress, a blanket and the clothes they have on.

The administration at Ashqelon, Beer Shiva' and Nafha prisons confiscated toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and fans from striking prisoners.

The administration at Ha Darim Prison began conducting a thorough search of prisoners' cells twice a day.

About 15 inmates at Nafha began their hunger strike as of 10 August 2004.

Israeli military authorities began photographing infirm prisoners while eating at Ashqelon Prison.

Day Four—18 August 2004

More Palestinian political in central prisons like Ashqelon, Ha Liqdar Section at Beer Shiva', Nitzan-Ramla, Neve Tritsa (Women) and Tal Mund (Women) joined the hunger strike on Wednesday 18 August 2004.

About 3659 detainees held at the Israeli military detention compounds of 'Ofar, Negev and Megiddo went on a one-day hunger strike in solidarity with striking colleagues.

Israeli Prison Authority conducted a very thorough search of the striking sections and confiscated radios, TVs, electrical appliances, canned or bottled liquids and salt.

Israeli Prison Authority restricted newspapers and confiscated books, pencils and other stationary supplies.

Israeli Prison Authority reduced the exercise time to one hour.

Day Three—17 August 2004

The Nafha Prison administration separated sentenced prisoners from those under detention. It also moved infirm prisoners to a special section and confiscated their personal effects especially the radios and TVs.

Sources close to the Mandela Institute confirmed Palestinian female political prisoners decided to join the hunger strike on Wednesday 18 August 2004.

Similar sources affirmed 70 inmates held at Ayalon-Ramla Prison and 738 others held at Galbou' and Shatta prisons will definitely join the strike on Thursday 19 August 2004.

The Administration of Ashqelon prison transferred 12 infirm Prisoner's to special section.

Day Two—16 August 2004

One hundred prisoners at Megiddo Detention Compound joined the hunger strike.

Israeli Prison Authority confiscated juice, salt, milk and cigarettes from canteens at Beer Shiva', Ha Darim and Nafha prisons.

Israeli military authorities transferred 140 inmates, including leaders of the hunger strike, from Nafha to central prisons. Some were sent to Ha Liqdar, an isolation section, at Beer Shiva' Prison.

Nafha Prison administration moved 300 inmates within the prison. Some inmates were moved 3 times within different sections. The Israeli move is an attempt to destabilize striking prisoners and is a part of the psychological pressure to break the strike.

Prison authorities reduced exercise time to one hour.

Israeli prison authorities transferred common criminals to the same sections holding political prisoners at Nafha prison. They were provided with extra special food and were asked to prepare delicious meals to tempt striking prisoners.

Day One—15 August 2004

Arab and Palestinian political prisoners, held in Israeli jails, began a hunger strike under the motto "Dignity and Freedom" demanding improvement of incarceration and living conditions.

Participating prisoners were as follows:

Nafha Prison—800 prisoners
Beer Shiva' Prison:
Eischel Section—341 prisoners
Section 4 of Ha Liqdar—70 prisoners
Ha Darim Prison—360 prisoners

Accordingly, a total of 1571 inmates have joined the hunger strike. Other inmates in Israeli central prisons will join the strike as of 18 August 2004.

Thus, a total of 4000 prisoners are scheduled to join the strike. Detainees held at military detention compounds 'Ofar, Megiddo and Katzi'ot (Negev desert) will take protesting measures in solidarity with the striking colleagues.

Later that day, Israeli Prison Authority confiscated radios and TVs from striking prisoners. The Ha Darim administration appropriated personal effects from 10 infirm prisoners and deemed them as strikers despite a decision by the strike leadership to exempt infirm prisoners from joining the strike.