CODEPINK is calling on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to pressure Israel into releasing Palestinian prisoner Ahmad Sa'adat!
Dear Secretary Blinken,
We, the undersigned, ask that you pressure Israeli authorities to release Palestinian political prisoner Ahmad Sa'adat.
Recently we marked the 14th anniversary of the Israeli sentencing of Palestinian political leader Ahmad Sa'adat, and the 14th anniversary of the brutal Israeli assault on Gaza, "Operation Cast Lead."
Ahmad was sentenced to 30 years in Israeli prison on 25 December 2008 after being violently abducted from the Palestinian Authority's Jericho prison in 2006, accused of leading a prohibited organization and "incitement." The PFLP, like all Palestinian political parties and resistance organizations, is labeled a “prohibited organization” by the Israeli occupation authorities.
Palestinian prisoners face Challenging medical neglect, which led to the December death of Nasser Abu Hmaid, and against which Palestinian thinker Walid Daqqa now struggles. Political prisoners confront forced deportation, especially following the forcible expulsion and stripping of Jerusalem identity from Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri, now expelled to France. They deal with administrative detention, arbitrary imprisonment without charge or trial under which 820 Palestinian prisoners – out of 4,750 in total – are currently held. Israel also sometimes keeps the bodies of prisoners who have died in their custody, including Abu Hmeid and 11 more Palestinians which is a form of collective punishment and torture targeting their families.
The direct involvement of the US, Canada and Britain in his imprisonment illustrates why international action in this case is so necessary. The support of these countries for Israel continues to perpetuate its impunity as it carries out land confiscations, home demolitions, mass imprisonment, extrajudicial executions, the ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem, the siege on Gaza and further crimes against humanity.
As Sa’adat was persecuted by the Israeli occupation for leading an “illegal organization”. Now, the Israeli occupation is attempting to use terror designations to suppress organizing and activism from grassroots organizations and civil society groups as well as resistance organizations. “Terror” labels are used as a colonial weapon against resistance movements.
We ask that you do all you can to demand the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Sincerely,