ISM Announcements and Updates

International Solidarity Movement Announcements and Updates

1. International Solidarity Movement, (ISM), Activists Join Palestinian Political Prisoners and Stage Hunger Strike; Women and Children, Joined by ISM, March in Tulkarem to Support Prisoner Demands

2. Interview with Fadwa Barghouti, Wife of Imprisoned Marwan Barghouti

3. Update on British Journalist Detained 21 Days as of September 1, 2004

1. ISM Activists Join Palestinian Political Prisoners and Stage Hunger Strike

Monday, August 30, International Solidarity Movement activists will go on hunger strike in a show of solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners.

ISM activists will be in the Solidarity Tents tomorrow in Tulkarem and Nablus.

Nationalities represented on hunger strike in Tulkarem include: Italian United Kingdom Ireland New Zealand United States Swedish

Nationalities represented on hunger strike in Nablus include: United States United Kingdom Italy New Zealand Canada Germany

For information contact: ISM Media Office: 972-2-277-4602 or 547-358-579 Tulkarem-Abdel Karim: 972-59-836-783 or 972-55-474-066 Nablus-Koli: 972-59-737-118 or 972-65-864-284

In Tulkarem, Palestinian women and children, accompanied by international activists will march from Tulkarem to Jabara checkpoint.

For information contact: Donald: 972-546-807-651 Michael: 972-546-829-538

Since August 15, more than 3,500 Palestinian prisoners have joined the strike protesting conditions that are contrary to both international as well as Israeli law and prison regulations. Another 4,000 prisoners are expected to join the strike in the upcoming days, including women, children and prisoners. For the past two weeks, the Palestinian, Israelis and Internationals have been involved in nonviolent activities to support the prisoners' demands. See: http://www.palsolidarity.org/prisoners

2. Interview with Fadwa Barghouti; Wife of Imprisoned Marwan Barghouti

Sawiya 28 August 2004

"I WAIT WITH YOU"

Today Fadwa Barghouti, wife of imprisoned Marwan Barghouti , spoke to the people of Sawiya and the surrounding district in the prisoners hunger strike solidarity tent. ISM activists present had the opportunity to interview Mrs. Barghouti. She told them that her husband was sentenced to 5 life terms plus 40 years. He has been in solitary confinement from the time of his sentencing in a cell measuring 2 meters by 3 meters. No member of his family has been permitted to visit him in this time. Fadwa Barghouti is a lawyer and has not been permitted access even in this capacity. When asked about the reasons for Marwans imprisonment Fadwa said its motivation is purely political. `He was elected to the Fatwa Council in the West Bank in 1994 and elected to the Palestinian legislative council in 1996. Based exclusively on his membership to Fatwa the Israeli state prosecutors deemed Marwan a terrorist by association. The truth is my husband is a political threat to Israel. He demands an end to the occupation, and Independence for the Palestinian people. His solitary confinement is a bid to isolate him politically. Initially the Israelis offered Marwan the option of exile but he refused to be separated from the Palestinian people'. Previously imprisoned by Israel in 1978 for four years Marwan Barghouti knew what he faced. Fadwa Barghouti suffered another personal blow when her eldest son was taken into custody by the Israeli authorities as he crossed the Allenby bridge from Jordan to join the rest of the family at Christmas. `He remains in custody and the Israelis have yet to charge him. But this is a story many Palestinian mothers could tell you. And it is why I am here today to demonstrate solidarity with all Prisoners families. When she took the podium at the solidarity tent she told those assembled:

`I share your suffering. I wait with you'.

3. Update on British Journalist Detained and Barred Entry: Appeal to Supreme Court: 21 days in Detention as of September 1st

Denied Access to Journalists by Minister of Interior

Over one week ago, Judge Kobo of the Tel Aviv District Court declared that UK Journalist, Ewa Jasiewicz, "is not a threat to Israeli security" and that should be released from detention where she has been held for two weeks. This decision was then appealed by the State Attorney.

On Wednesday, August 24, Judge Pilpel denied the British journalist entry into Israel and Occupied Palestine.

Judge Pilpel admitted that Ewa Jasiewicz was not a security risk. However, she stated, "I think the possibility for others to use her naiveté and her position as a journalist, as well as her ideological beliefs to stop what she calls `fascism and racism', is reasonable, and therefore, I decide that the explanation of the security services is reasonable and to the point."

Yael Barda, Ewa's attorney, in response to the decision stated, "two judges in Israel have decided that Eva Jasiewicz is not a security threat, yet they have denied her entry into Israel because of her ideological beliefs."

Attorneys Yael Barda and Lea Tsemel have appealed the decision to the Supreme Court and a hearing date has been set for September 1.

In spite of the fact that the Brtish journalist was ordered released two weeks ago and that two judges have not found her to be "a threat to national security" the Israeli Minister of Interior has forbidden Ms. Jasiewicz any form of communication with journalists.

In addition, Israeli MK's from the Yahad Party visited Ms Jasiewicz last week.

The British National Union of Journalists, (NJU), has strongly condemned the decision and the detention of Ewa Jasiewicz. The NJU has declared that Ewa's detention is "state interference in the work of a journalist that should be anathema to a democratic society."

Ewa Jasiewicz is a journalist from the United Kingdom who was detained at Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport two weeks ago and denied entry to Israel and Occupied Palestine. Ewa is a journalist and writer who has also worked as a human rights activist in Palestine and Iraq.

Last week her statement was printed in the British Newspaper, The Guardian. For the entire article see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/comment/0,10551,1290901,00.html

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