Hana al-Shalabi has been held under administrative detention without charge or trial since her re-arrest on February 16, 2012 and has maintained a continuous hunger strike since that date, inspiring international solidarity and action. Today, March 26, marks the 40th day of hunger strike – and also a new decision handed down by an Israeli court denying her appeal of her administrative detention sentence.
Not only did the judge refuse to consider Shalabi’s ill-treatment and torture, according to Addameer, “In his decision, the military judge disregarded Ms. Shalabi’s critical medical condition; rather, he stated that she is responsible for her own recovery.”
Administrative detention dates from the British Emergency Law of 1945 under the British Mandate of Palestine. It allows the Israeli occupation to detain Palestinians for up to six months at a time without charge or trial, on the basis of secret evidence not disclosed to either the accused person or his or her lawyer, and can be renewed indefinitely. There are 320 Palestinians currently held under administrative detention, including a number of members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and some have been held for over four years. Hana Shalabi is one of 4,637 Palestinian political prisoners in the jails of the Israeli occupation, 30 of whom continue to be held in isolation, from Palestinian national leaders and Palestinian children – all of whom are demanding freedom. Within Israeli jails, hunger strikes are spreading as 24 prisoners continue open-ended strikes and a prison system wide one-day strike was held on March 24.
Hana al-Shalabi’s current imprisonment began only four months after her release from over two years of administrative detention without charge or trial on October 18, 2011, a release secured in a prisoner exchange negotiated by the Palestinian resistance. During her hunger strike, her health has grown progressively worse; she was visited today by a doctor from Physicians for Human Rights, who reported “stated that Ms. Shalabi’s muscle atrophy and wasting have increased, which now includes her heart muscle. Ms. Shalabi still refuses nutrition aside from vitamins and salts in her water and is in danger of death.”
The Israeli occupation is entirely responsible for the life and health of Hana al-Shalabi. In the past few days, pickets, mobilizations and demonstrations have been held in New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Glasgow, Chicago, Derry, Belfast, and London. Amnesty International has issued a new appeal calling for Hana’s release – however, many other human rights organizations have maintained complete silence even as Hana Shalabi’s hunger strike reaches its 40th day.
More action is urgently needed to mobilize global support for Hana al-Shalabi as her health worsens and her appeals are denied, to support her steadfast struggle for her freedom, the freedom of Palestinian political prisoners and the freedom of Palestine.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
- Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges the Palestine solidarity movement in North America and around the world to publicize the case of Hana al-Shalabi and all Palestinian political prisoners. Join in the call for an April 17 day of action for Palestinian prisoners’ day!
- Contact Israeli occupation officials and demand Hana al-Shalabi’s release. Sign your letter here.
- Write to your government officials:
- In Canada: Click here to send a letter to Foreign Minister John Baird (developed by the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid)
- In the United States: Call the office of Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs (1.202.647.7209). Demand that Jeffrey Feltman bring this issue urgently to his counterparts in Israel and raise the question of Khader Adnan’s administrative detention.
- Organize a picket or protest outside the Israeli embassy or consulate in your location and demand the immediate freedom of Hana al-Shalabi and all Palestinian political prisoners. Make it clear that the eyes of the world are on the situation of Hana Shalabi and demand an end to the use of isolation, torture solitary confinement, and administrative detention against Palestinian political prisoners. Send us reports of your protests at Israeli embassies and consulates at samidoun@samidoun.ca.
- Keep sharing Hana’s story on social media.
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