The arrest, between September 10 and 11, 2021, of Yaqoub Qadri, Mahmoud Abdullah, Zakaria Zubeidi and Mohammad Ardah, four of the six Palestinian prisoners who escaped from Israel’s Gilboa prison, has exacerbated Israel’s repression of the Palestinian people. From restrictions on their access to food and water to constant transfers, Palestinian political prisoners are victims of Israel’s repressive colonial policies.
Last Sunday, we learned that the two other escaped prisoners, Ayham Kamamji and Mounadel Infeiat, were also arrested in Jenin, in occupied Palestine.
Since their arrest, the six escapees have been subjected to a disgraceful outburst of violence, symbolized by the swollen face of Zakaria Zubeidi, with no regard for international law. An appeal had to be filed with the Supreme Court of Jerusalem on September 14 for the detainees to be able to see their lawyers, a situation which contravenes their fundamental, inalienable human rights.
Given the allegations of torture by numerous human rights NGOs against the Israeli authorities over the years, we fear that these six political prisoners may be currently subjected to acts of torture. This would be contrary to the United Nations Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners, which states that “All prisoners shall be treated with the respect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings,” and that no act of torture can be used against prisoners.
It is urgent that the International Committee of the Red Cross be able to visit the detention facilities where the six prisoners are being held in order to monitor their health and to be able to intervene if their lives are in danger.
We call on the French government to act to protect these prisoners and their rights and to immediately question the Israeli government with regards to status of these prisoners.
First signatories :
Bertrand Badie, Professor Emeritus, Science-Po Paris
Ludivine Bantigny, Historian
Jérôme Bonnard, Spokesperson of the Union Syndicale Solidaires
Rony Brauman, Physician and Essayist
Marie Buisson, Spokesperson of the FERC-CGT
Annick Coupé, Secretary General of ATTAC France
Sonia Dayan-Herzbrun, Professor Emeritus, University of Paris
Joss Dray, Photographer and Writer
Sonia Fayman, director of ATL Jénine – Freedom Theater Jénine
Dominique Grange, Singer
Nacira Guénif, Sociologist and Professor at University of Paris 8
Tardi, Comic artist
Alain Guiraudie, Filmmaker
Aurélie Journée-Duez, anthropology, EHESS.
Serge Perrin, Leader of MAN - Mouvement pour une alternative non violente
Philippe Poutou, Spokesperson of the NPA and Presidential Candidate
Michèle Sibony, Union Juive Française pour la Paix
Dominique Vidal, Journalist
Sign the petition accompanying this text:
https://www.wesign.it/fr/droitshumains/appel-a-la-protection-immediate-des-6-prisonniers-palestiniens-evades-et-re-arretes-par-israel#