In association with
Awlad Albalad
, is a charitable
Arabic and Palestinian Human rights organization, founded by a group of
Arab and European intellectuals , lawyers, and activists , concerned with
the plight, conditions and needs of the Arab and Palestinian political
prisoners both while in detention and upon their release .
Awlad Albalad
( The land's children
) aims to ensure that each Palestinian political prisoner taken by the
Israeli authority, or the Palestinian authority gets the proper legal representation
during the interrogation process and imprisonment .
Awlad Albalad
proposes to supply Palestinian political prisoners and their families with
legal, as well as emotional support, and to fulfill their basic needs whenever
possible . To this end Awlad
Albalad has a three part working mechanism .
1 )Awlad
Albalad is given notice,
usually by the family of a person’s arrest . At this point Awlad
Albalad puts its resources
to work to locate the prisoner, and send a lawyer to ensure his rights
during the interrogation process . When there is evidence of the use of
torture Awlad
Albalad raises a case
for the prisoner .
Awlad Albalad
sponsors volunteered
lawyers to represent the political prisoner during his court case and the
follow up Appeals Court and High Court when required .
2 ) Awlad
Albalad documents the
prisoners living , health conditions , and diffuculties often encountered
by the prisoners such as over crowding, lack of exercise time , lack of
proper medical care , shortage of books and other reading and cultural
materials .
As a result of their findings
Awlad
Albalad endeavors to involve other human rights
groups and to pressure the Israeli Authority in attempts to alleviate the
prisoners situation .
In 1994 with the advent of the
Palestinian National Authority retaining power over parts of the West Bank
and Gaza srtip, a new dimension was added to Awlad
Albalad's work .
Awlad Albalad
began to work with Palestinian
political detainees in prisons under the Palestinian Authority . Following
upon Palestinian political prisoners proved to be more tedious due to the
fact that there are multiple structures of power thriugh which one might
obtain information about particular detainee . Furthermore, one is forced
to deal with, as of yet, unstable laws which slow down the process of locating
and giving legal aid to the detainees .
3 )Awlad
Albalad works closely
with Middle East Human Rights Watch, Human Rights activists from around
the world,and Amnesty International in writing their reports about Human
Rights violations in the areas under the newly established Palestinian
Authority .
In addition to working on individual
cases, Awlad
Albalad has spearheaded
many campaigns in relation to the issues concerning Palestinian and Arab
political prisoners problems .
Campaign To End Administrative
Detention :
Administrative detention is
when a prisoner is arrested and kept in prison without charge or trial
. Detention period rang from 3 to 6 months, and can be renewed automatically
without reason . To justify the use of this illegal and inhuman practice
Israel authorities claim evidences against a prisoner located in a secret
file which neither the prisoner , or his lawyer are allowed to see for
" security purposes " .
Awlad Albalad
believes that these prisoners are actually prisoners
of conscience and are being held only on the basis of their beliefs and
in turn are a violation of person’s right to freedom of speech and expression
.
During a campaign for the release
the Palestinian administrative detainees in Israel Jails, Awlad
Albalad was able to help
Imad Elsabee'
to be released from his
jail, to continue his studies in Holland . Now
Awlad Albalad
is working in a campaign
to release the administrative detainee Khalid Dalaishi, who is suffering
from an unhuman circumstances in Majeddo military jail in Israel .
Campaign For Prisoners Rights
:
As started previously Palestinian
Political Prisoners often find that their basic human needs are not met
during their imprisonment . For instance, there is a lack of proper food
and health care in Israeli prisons . Sometimes prisoners have been prevented
from seeing lawyers or family members . Moreover, prisoners are plagued
with lack of fundamental needs, such as books, exercise time, overcrowding
of jails, and poor sanitary conditions . Awlad
Albalad works on an going
basis dealing with problems as they arise, or seem most pertinent at the
time .
Campaign to release women
Prisoners :
The plight of female political
pisoners one of the most difficult . Few in numbers they have been often
overlooked . Awlad
Albalad are now working
in a campaign to release Suha
Bshara, a Lebanese
artist,who was arrested by the Lebanese forces which cooperate with Israel
army in south Lebanon and imprisoned in Alkhiyam jail in south Lebanon,
for her political and human rights activities, and she is suffering from
an unhuman conditions in her jail since 10 years .
Campaign Against Torture :
The latest campaign that Awlad
Albalad is working on,
is an international campaign against torture in the Arab world and Africa
. This campaign will encompass work to end Israeli and Palestinian authority's
torture methods such as "shabh" , sleep deprivation, violent
shaking, through the use of documentation of cases and organizing concerts
in North America,U.S.A. and Europe,with international groups to put pressure
on the Israeli government and the Palestinian authority .
Awlad
Albalad
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