Israel : Barghouti Remains Leader of Jail Strikers

The occupation authorities had “tried to circumvent the leadership of the strike, but they collided with the prisoners’ consensus on commander Marwan Barghouti as the leader of the strike.

Ramallah, 5 Syaban 1438/2 April 2017 (MINA) – Israeli prison guards tried and failed to sideline Palestinian hunger strike leader Marwan Barghouti, Morning Star reported, citing the chairman of the protesting inmates’ media solidarity committee as saying Monday.

Abdul-Fattah Douleh said the occupation authorities had “tried to circumvent the leadership of the strike, but they collided with the prisoners’ consensus on commander Marwan Barghouti as the leader of the strike.”

He added that the prisoners had refused the appointment of any other leadership to negotiate their demands with the Israeli prison service.

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The protest by at least 1,500 of the 6,300 Palestinians languishing in Israeli jails entered its 15th day yesterday.

The hunger strikers are demanding improved conditions and visiting rights.

Prison service spokesman Assaf Librati claimed that only 870 prisoners were still on hunger strike, down from 1,300 last week.

All are being kept in solitary confinement to prevent them acting in unison (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)