PRISONER RIGHTS GROUP: ISRAEL MUST RELEASE ALL PALESTINIAN PRISONERS

Bethlehem, 25 Dhul Hijja 1434/30 October 2013 (MINA) – Addameer prisoner rights group said Tuesday that Israel must release all Palestinian prisoners as a precondition for peace talks with the Palestinian Authority.

The prisoners were due to be released late Tuesday as part of a four-stage deal to coincide with a return to peace negotiations in July. All 26 were convicted of killing Israelis, with most of the attacks occurring before the 1993 Oslo Accords, Ma’an News Agency quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

A first group of 26 prisoners were freed on Aug. 13.

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Randa Wahbe, an advocacy officer for Addameer prisoner rights group, told Ma’an that there has been no change in Israeli policy toward Palestinian detainment and imprisonment, despite the latest release.

“We know that Israel is saying that this is a goodwill gesture, but on the ground we cannot put confidence in negotiations until we see a true attempt at releasing prisoners.”

Over 1,100 Palestinians have been detained since US Secretary of State John Kerry announced a return to peace talks in July, including the arrest of students and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Wahbe said.

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“If you look at other returns to negotiations which included prisoner releases, such as Northern Ireland or South Africa, the unconditional release of all prisoners happened before the start of negotiations and since 1993 Israel has time and again promised to release prisoners and constantly reneged on their promises.”

After a 2011 swap deal which saw over 1,000 Palestinians freed in return for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Israel arrested over 477 people between October and December, and Wahbe says that in 2013 there are on average around 400 arrests per month.

Under military order 1651, an Israeli military committee can cancel a prisoner’s amnesty based on secret charges and evidence that even the detainee’s lawyer is not permitted to see.

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Samer Issawi was rearrested under military order 1651 in 2012 after being freed in the Shalit deal and subsequently went on hunger strike to demand his release. (T/P09/E1).

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).