Ref: 21/2007

Date: 16 April  2007

PCHR Commemorates Palestinian Prisoners’ Day with a Series of Activities

Expressing solidarity with Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails and out of believing in their just cause, PCHR is commemorating the Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, which comes on 17 April, with a series of activities.

As it used to do in previous years, PCHR, in cooperation with Ministry of Culture and YMCA, made a painting on the wall of the headquarters of ICRC in Gaza (20 meters wide and 2 meters high) to demonstrate the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The painting was drawn by 10 plastic artists, each of whom expressed an aspect of the suffering and steadfastness of Palestinian prisoners.

At another level, PCHR issued a report on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails titled “40 Yeas of Occupation, 40 Years of Detention.” Copies of the report will be disseminated on Monday, 17 April 2007. The report addresses several issues, including: prisoners under International Humanitarian Law; prisoners under political accords; detention conditions of prisoners in the past year; and female and minor prisoners.

In the same context, Deputy Director of PCHR, Jaber Weshah, will participate on 18 April 2007 in the weekly dialogue organized by Cana’an Pedagogical Institute in Gaza. This week dialogue will focus on the issue of Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli jails, and will be titled “40 years of Occupation and Detention.”

In addition, PCHR will participate in a series of activities organized in cooperation with Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-prisoners Association and NGOs in Khan Yunis, which will include: a march on 18 April 2007 near Khan Yunis Castle; a sport festival on 20 April 2007 at Khan Yunis Sports Club; and a candle march of prisoners’ children near Kahn Yunis Castle on 21 April 2007.

It is worth noting that PCHR has started to circulate the poster it made on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day in the context of its activities on this occasion.