Mothers, Wife’s, and sons of Palestinian and Arab prisoners inside the Israeli Jails had sent a letter to PNA’s president Yasser Arafat calling him for quick intervention to stop the suffering of the prisoners, and to sign any agreement with the Israeli government before securing the release of all of them without discrimination or conditions. The letter had sent mean while the prisoners are already going through hunger strike since the beginning of this month. Due to its importance, PCHR is going to circulate it to all concerned parties as part of its efforts aiming at supporting the prisoners’ cause until their release without conditions or discrimination.
Gaza 21st May, 2000
Your Excellency Mr President Yasser ArafatPresident of Palestine StateChairman of the PLOWe, mothers, wives and sons of prisoners, are following up the developments of the negotiation process. We are particularly concerned by the statements delivered by the media agencies with regard to the background negotiations in Stockholm, and to what is going on regarding the negotiations on the framework agreement. At the same time, we are witnessing and following up with a deep concern and anxiety, the latest developments regarding the hunger strike that our sons, husbands and fathers have started since the beginning of May in the Israeli jails. In light of the above, we hereby hope, that your Excellency will do his utmost in order to find a prompt and fair solution to the prisoners cause. A solution which we hope will be achieved through securing the release of all of Palestinian and Arab prisoners without discriminatory standards and conditions.The practices and measures adopted by the Israeli Prisons Administration against our sons, such as was the case in Mejido where prisoners experienced their living quarters on fire following the throwing of considerable amount of tear gas bombs and thunder flashes, and the tension taking place through out all Israeli prisons, are conditions that threaten the life of our sons, making their future uncertain. Accordingly, we, Mr. President, mothers and wives of prisoners, believe that it is time now to move on from the mistakes carried out by our Negotiating team in Oslo when the Declaration of Principles was announced in 13 September 1993, and not to leave any longer the prisoners issue to the Israeli Government’s will. Your experience, Mr President, dealing with the Israeli Government, surely demonstrates that such a Government does not respect its written legal obligations, as to an even lesser extent, its oral obligations. Today, six years, eight months and seven days after the Declaration of Principles, we do not have any hope for a nearer solution for the cause of our sons, husbands and fathers incarcerated in Israeli jails. Furthermore, we do not see an end to their physical and mental suffering. We, the families of prisoners, are deeply disappointed by the negotiation process, and feel sad for the exclusion of our sons from the accords reached between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Government.Respectable and General leader,Expressing our solidarity to the hunger strike, on behalf of our sons, husbands and fathers, imprisoned in Israeli jails, we call upon your excellency and urge you to suspend all political agreements with the Israeli Government until a comprehensive and satisfactory solution for the prisoners cause is reached. Furthermore, we urge you to adopt specific and clearly scheduled mechanisms, within one year, securing the release of all Palestinians and Arab in Israeli jails. Such schedule of release should be dealt with:· In an independent manner: So that it does not constitute an annex of other agreements, and demonstrate therefore that the release of prisoners is at the top of our national priorities. · Separately: In order not to allow any manipulation from the Israeli government through its interpretation which could refrain such a State from complying with its legal obligations. · With a specific timetable: Whilst it was acceptable to have partial solutions regarding the prisoners issue during the interim period, then it should be logical to have a permanent solution for the above mentioned cause during the Third Status Negotiations. · With specific milestones: In order not to allow to the Israeli government to overrun the timetables. In this regard, we wish to draw to your attention, to international models guaranteeing prisoners release in countries such as that as happened in South Africa and Northern Ireland ( United Kingdom ). We, mothers and wives and sons of prisoners, calls upon your Excellency, to do your utmost to end the suffering of our sons, husbands and fathers, and to find a solution for their cause, during the next round of negotiations. We hope that the solution will lead to the release of all Palestinian and Arab prisoners without discriminatory standards and conditions. We thank you for the urgent attention and effort you will put in solving this difficult issue and we wish you success. Mothers, wives and sons of Palestinian and Arab prisoners inside Israeli Jails. 20th of May 2000, Gaza
Trial Version
