FOA Friends of Al Aqsa : Free Hana !

Action Alert: Free Hana - Stop Administrative Detention

NEWS / Posted by Administrator / Tuesday, 28th February, 2012 

 

 

 

Hana Al-Shalabi, 30, is on her 12th day of hunger strike to protest against her administrative detention by Israel. Administrative detention allows the military to detain prisoners indefinitely, without charging them or making them stand trial.

 

There are 309 Palestinian prisoners currently being held under administrative detention by Israel. Their situation has recently been highlighted by Khader Adnan’s hunger strike. He was kidnapped from his home in the West Bank by occupation soldiers on 17 December 2011 and began his hunger strike the day after as the only means available to him to protest against this treatment. For 66 days, he refused food and water even though his health seriously deteriorated and was likely to lead to his death.

 

Khader’s hunger strike highlighted Israel’s policy of ‘administrative detention’, a violation of international human rights. Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) says that no person should be "subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention".

 

His cause was taken up by grass root activists and gained huge support on twitter, which finally attracted mainstream coverage.

 

Khader finally ended his hunger strike after Israel agreed not to renew his administrative detention on April 17. This was branded ‘insufficient’ by Amnesty International who called for his immediate release and the end to administrative detention.

 

If campaigners had not put the international spotlight on Khader Adnan, he would have probably died in Israeli detention. As Richard Falk, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights commented; "Keeping Mr Adnan alive was also seen by Israelis as a means to avoid a wider scrutiny of the institution and practice of administrative detention."

 

Hana Al Shalabi is now in the 11th day of her hunger strike. She was originally arrested and detained under administrative detention on the 14th September 2009. Hana was released on the 18th October 2010 as part of the prisoner release deal but was re-arrested on February 17th and has been on hunger strike since. According to Addameer, a Palestinian organisation to support Palestinian political prisoners Hana has been subjected to sexual harassment and physical violence during her interrogation.

 

Hana’s plight needs to be brought to the world’s attention so that she, along with the other 308 Palestinians held under administrative detention can be put on trial or released. For decades, Israel has used administrative detention to arrest and imprison Palestinians without cause. Many never know why they are being held and face months if not years imprisoned. This will only stop if the right pressure and influence is exerted and it should be lead by the British Government.

Action:

Contact your MP and inform them about the case of Hana Al-Shalabi, and the other 308 prisoners held under a policy of ‘administrative detention’ by Israel. Inform your MP that Israel is breaking international rights under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which says that no person should be "subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention".

 

Ask your MP to write to the Foreign Secretary to ask him to formally condemn administrative detention and call for the immediate end of its use by Israel.

 

You can find your MP’s contact details here.

 

Please cc: Alistair Burt MP, Foreign Office Ministerpsministerburtaction@fco.gov.uk