Two youth organizations in London Olive & ASAP held a session covering Palestinian Prisoner’s Day entitled “COVID-19 and Palestinian Prisoners” on the 15th of April. The American activist Miko Peled started the session by highlighting the importance of paying attention to prisoners’ rights and choosing to reject unlawful practices against them.
Miko Peled said that Coronavirus can knock on the doors of prisoners cells and threaten their lives. Despite the spread of the virus the occupation arrested 357 Palestinians in March notwithstanding the concern in the spread of the virus among the prisoners’ cells according to “Addameer Association”.
Miko Peled added that the occupation authorities are increasing their discriminatory policies towards prisoners despite the Coronavirus outbreak as prisoners are prevented from their basic rights from communicating with their families to staying in a clean cell as well as the clear health neglect of patients inside prisons such as cancer patients and other types of conditions.
Peled discussed the need of being aware of these unlawful practices and spreading the awareness of these global violations and of trying to stop them and demanding without hesitation the unconditional release of the prisoners despite the great pressure from the occupation on everyone trying to talk about the prisoners or help their families.
Peled said that the term terrorism and supporting terrorism has been distorted to suit the occupation’s desire. Helping children with basic subsistence needs through providing food and medicine has been called terrorism from the occupation’s point of view.
It was also pointed out that despite numerous organizations stressing the urgency of releasing all political prisoners inside prisons in March 2020 the occupation did not and will not respond he elaborated.
Peled mentioned the conditions of the Palestinians in the West Bank Gaza and the occupied side and the racial discrimination against them by the occupation. He also pointed to the ethnic cleansing that the occupation is carrying out against them as the Palestinians are living in a small part of their lands and this part does not even cover the life basics to live a proper life.
OLIVE is a Palestinian youth organization that aims to mobilize Palestinian youth by raising awareness about Palestine and the Palestinian issue as well as encouraging and training Palestinian youth to become active in the political and campaigning spheres.
The Association of Student Activism for Palestine “ASAP” is a student-led organization and it aims to provide support for pro-Palestine activist student groups and societies across the UK.
