Samer Issawi near death; Call US State Dept. to demand his release from Israeli prison

ACTION ALERT

(CHICAGO 02/12/2013) – Palestinian political prisoner Samer Issawi, who has been on a hunger strike for 203 days, is languishing near death, shackled to his bed. He has been on a hunger strike since July 2012 to protest Israel’s use of administrative detention, and other human rights abused in the Israeli prison system.

Samer has refused food for more than six months, one of the longest hunger strikes in history. Yet, the media has remained silent. He is losing his vision, vomiting blood and lapsing in and out of consciousness, according to a spokesperson for the Free Samer Issawi Campaign.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

• Take part in an international day of fasting on Feb. 13. Take a picture of yourself holding a poster saying “I am fasting in solidarity with Samer Issawi” and post it on our AMP Natl facebook page.
• Follow @samerissaw1 on Twitter for the latest updates and #hashtags or go to their facebook page.
• Call Assistant Secretary of State Beth Jones from 1 to 3 p.m. CST on Feb. 13 to demand the US pressure Israel into releasing Issawi and all Palestinian political prisoners.

TALKING POINTS

• Prisoners rights group Addameer says that Israel is holding 4,743 Palestinians in Israeli prisons as of January, including 178 in administrative detention.
• In addition to Samer, Jafar Izzeddin, Ayman Sharawneh and Tariq Qadan are also on a hunger strike to protest prison conditions and administrative detention.
• Administrative detention violates international law.
• Holding Palestinians in Israeli prisons is against international law.
• The deplorable human rights abuses Palestinian prisoners suffer in Israeli prisons are an affront to our American values of human dignity and justice.
• US unconditional support for Israel, especially in light of the hunger strikingprisoners, hurts our standing in the world and weakens our national security.

CONTACT Secretary Elizabeth Jones at 202.647.7209