| NOVANEWS Honor him by taking action for the release of Palestinian political prisoners |
| CHICAGO 02/24/2013) — The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) condemns in the harshest possible terms the death of Palestinian political prisoner Arafat Jaradat, of Sa`ir, who died Saturday in an Israeli prison. Media reports indicate Jaradat, 30, died after enduring torture during interrogation session, according to his lawyer and the Palestinian Ministry of Detainee Affairs. Jaradat is another victim of the Israeli occupation. His death underscores the deplorable conditions Palestinians prisoners suffer in Israeli prisons. Currently, four prisoners — Samer Issawi, Jafar Ezzedine, Tareq Qa`aden and Yousef Yassin — have been waging months-long hunger strikes to protest torture, the use of administrative detention (holding people without charge or trial), isolation and withholding family visits, as well as access to adequate medical care and exercise. All these abuses are in direct contravention of international law. They were joined today by nearly 3,000 Palestinians for a one-day hunger strike to protest Jaradat`s death. Currently, occupation authorities are holding 4,812 Palestinians as political prisoners, including 15 duly elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. AMP offers our heartfelt condolences to Jaradat`s family. We commit to ensuring he is not forgotten. We call on the US State Department to pressure Israel to release the political prisoners and we call on Congress to end aid to Israel and hold Israel to the same human rights standards required of other nations who receive our foreign aid. Finally, we ask our supporters to continue to call Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Jones at 202.647.7209 and demand the US pressure Israel release all political prisoners. #### end #### |
