Saturday 17 March 2012

Global Hunger Strike with Hana Shalabi

Local Editor

On the 27th day of her open hunger strike, thousands of people across the world joined a one day fasting in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoner inside "Israeli" jails Hana Shalabi.

Event organizers expected thousands of people across the world to join in the protests, calling for "Israel" to respect international human rights.

Student organizations in Europe, including at Edinburgh University, took part in the 12 hour-long fast.

In Palestine hundreds of people clutching pictures of Shalabi gathered outside Ofer Prison near Ramallah, shouting slogans at "Israeli" soldiers guarding the facility.

"Shalabi is suffering spells of dizziness, muscular wasting and loss of consciousness," her lawyers and medical observers said.

The 30-year-old female is held under administrative detention laws, which allow the "Israeli" military to hold Palestinians on secret evidence without charge or trial for renewable six-month sentences.

Her protest is part of a spreading movement by Palestinian prisoners ignited in December by Khader Adnan who ended a near-fatal fast of 66 days after "Israeli" authorities agreed to cut his detention period.

With Shalabi's condition is serious, and 23 other Palestinians pledging not to eat while in "Israeli" custody, calls have mounted for "Israel" to repeal the controversial policy it has applied to detainees from the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967.

The policy has come under attack from human rights groups, with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch saying administrative detention violates international law.

"This magic phrase endangering public order used by the "Israelis" to justify administrative detention is a dishonest instrument," Jawad Boulos, Shalabi's lawyer said.

"Some of those behind bars are not even accused of being violent, and their detention has more political motives," he stressed.


Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org



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