San Jose, CA – On April 19, around 30 people gathered at the Arab American Cultural Center in San Jose for an educational community event to commemorate Palestinian Prisoners Day. The event focused on the case of famed Palestinian political leader and longtime political prisoner Marwan Bargouthi, who has been imprisoned by Israel on false charges for over 20 years due to his role as a leader during the Second Intifada.

Palestinian Prisoners Day, commemorated annually on April 17, was established in 1974 as a day dedicated to the freedom of Palestinian political prisoners and support for their rights. According to the most recent available statistics from this past December, 9619 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli custody, Bargouthi among them.

The evening began with a screening of Tomorrow’s Freedom, a documentary which tells the story of Bargouthi and his family, as he endures harsh prison conditions and organizes his fellow prisoners in a hunger strike. The film also shed light on Bargouthi’s long history as an organizer and leader in Palestine, beginning with his days of student activism at Birzeit University, his work as a politician in the 1990s, and his role as a leader of the Second Intifada in 2000-01.

Bargouthi was arrested by Israel in 2002 and subject to an unfair trial, resulting in a five consecutive life sentences. The film follows his wife and sons as they navigate Israel’s discriminatory prison visitation system, advocate for his freedom internationally, and suffer the pain of his absence in their family. The film culminates with Bargouthi undertaking a hunger strike with his fellow prisoners in protest of their living conditions, as his family worries for his health.

After the film, organizers held a question and answer session with Bargouthi’s niece, Areej Bargouthi, who provided updates and answers about his case via Zoom. “There is not any kind of communication with my uncle [since 2022], through me or the whole family,” she explained. “Not even phone calls, or visiting the jail at all.”

“They don’t have any rights. They don’t have the right to see their families,” Areej Bargouthi stated. “They used to have a break, around 45 minutes, to walk outside. Now they don’t have anything. They give them just a small piece of bread with a few olives for the whole day, and that’s it. Prisoners come out having lost 50 or 60 pounds.”

The evening’s discussion was particularly timely, as Israel’s assault on Gaza has halted the prisoner exchanges that took place during the ceasefire. These prisoner exchanges resulted in the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including Palestinian political leader Khalida Jarrar of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and caused speculation that Marwan Bargouthi may be a candidate for release in future prisoner exchange negotiations.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #PoliticalPrisoners

The Bittersweet Taste of Freedom: an Interview with a Former Palestinian Prisoner

As part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Amir Abu Raddaha was freed from Israeli prison after 23 years. He spoke to Mondoweiss about his time behind bars, and the horrific conditions of Palestinian prisoners since October 7.

On the cold morning of February 15, 202

https://abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/17526/

#Analysis #ceasefire #palestine #PoliticalPrisoners #PrisonStruggle #WestAsia

#AmericanPrestige pod | The Arrest of #MahmoudKhalil w/ #SpencerAckerman

https://americanprestige.supportingcast.fm/listen/american-prestige-1/special-the-arrest-of-mahmoud-khalil-w-spencer-ackerman

Ackerman's piece @ Forever Wars : https://www.forever-wars.com/mahmoud-khalils-detention-is-a-war-on-terror-milestone/

#FreeMahmoudKhalil #RightToProtest #FreeSpeechOnCampus #StudentProtests #Palestine #PalestineSolidarity #GazaSolidarity #PoliticalPrisoners #DHS #ICEdetention #StateRepression #USpol #USpolitics @palestine

"Please add your name to join #RashidaTlaib and her colleagues in Congress demanding the immediate release of political prisoner #MahmoudKhalil. He should be back home safely with his wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant with their child."

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/demand-mahmoud-khalils-immediate-release-from-dhs-custody/

#FreeMahmoudKhalil #RightToProtest #FreeSpeechOnCampus #StudentProtests #Palestine #PalestineSolidarity #GazaSolidarity #PoliticalPrisoners #DHS #ICEdetention #StateRepression #USpol #USpolitics @palestine @israel

"The British brought the system of #administrativeDetention to #Palestine when they were the mandatory power. [...]
"Despite many of its founders being caught on the wrong side of these laws, #Israel adopted them in 1948 and has strenuously resisted attempts to modify their provisions." - Selma Dabbagh

https://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/march/how-life-is-in-there

#PalestinianDetainees #PalestinianPrisoners #colonialViolence #politicalPrisoners #oPt @palestine @israel

Syrian Military Officials Charged With War Crimes as Government Falls https://www.byteseu.com/787087/ #AbdulSalam(1959) #Assad #Austin #BasharAl #Conflicts #DefenseAndMilitaryForces #Hassan #Jamil(1952) #JusticeDepartment #Mahmoud #PoliticalPrisoners #Syria #Tice #UnitedStatesInternationalRelations #UnitedStatesPoliticsAndGovernment

110 Palestinian Prisoners to be Liberated Tomorrow in Toufan al-Ahrar Exchange: List of Names

110 Palestinian prisoners will be liberated in the next installment of the first stage of the Toufan al-Ahrar prisoner exchange, the Flood of the Free, on Thursday, 30 January. They include 32 with life sentences, 48 with long sentences, and 30 Palestinian children and youth.

https://abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/14061/

#News #AlAqsaFlood #gaza #hamas #palestine #PoliticalPrisoners #WestAsia

110 Palestinian Prisoners to be Liberated Tomorrow in Toufan al-Ahrar Exchange: List of Names

110 Palestinian prisoners will be liberated in the next installment of the first stage of the Toufan al-Ahrar prisoner exchange, the Flood of the Free, on Thursday, 30 January. They include 32 with life sentences, 48 with long sentences, and 30 Palestinian children and youth. Among those who will be liberated are Mohammed Abu Warda, serving 48 life sentences (the third highest, after Abdullah Barghouti and Ibrahim Hamed, equivalent to Hassan Salameh) in Zionist jails, and Zakaria Zubeidi, one of the six heroes of the Freedom Tunnel escape from Gilboa prison, from Jenin camp.

They also include Ammar Mardi Howeitat, the Jordanian prisoner who last week refused deportation when Jordan refused to receive him, despite him being a Jordanian citizen.

So far, 290 Palestinian prisoners have been liberated from Zionist prisons in the first two installments of the Toufan al-Ahrar exchange.

Earlier today, Abu Obeida, the military spokesperson of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, stated that, as part of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the Al-Qassam Brigades have decided to release the following zionist prisoners tomorrow, Thursday, January 30, 2025:

1. Arbil Yehud
2. Agam Berger
3. Gadi Moshe Moses

The Zionist regime had attempted to use the exchange of Yehud as a pretext to restrict Palestinians from northern Gaza from returning to their homes, despite the fact that Saraya al-Quds had confirmed that they were holding her and that she would be released in the next exchange. After the exchange was set for Thursday, 30 January, the images of half a million Palestinians sweeping back to Northern Gaza in powerful images of return at the hands of the Resistance and in defeat of the occupier became a global symbol of victory and a harbinger of return to all of Palestine from the river to the sea, especially for the 70% of Palestinians from Gaza who are refugees forced from their homes and lands during al-Nakba.

According to the lists released by the Prisoners’ Media Office, the following Palestinian prisoners will be liberated tomorrow. Samidoun will provide updates throughout the day, and we encourage you to follow us on Telegram and X for the latest news.

Palestinian captives with Life Sentences:

• Abdel-Fattah Nayef Abdel-Fattah Radwan
• Adham Mohammed Abdel-Aziz Younis
• Ahmad Mohammed Zuhdi Marshood
• Ahmed Sidqi Sleiman Radwan
• Alaa Ahmad Abdel-Moneim Salah
• Alaa el-Din Tawfiq Mohammed Farhat
• Ali Yousef Najib Sbeih
• Ammar Mustafa Ahmad Mardi
• Haithem Ahmed Samar Antari
• Hussein Faisal Hussein Nassar
• Ismail Daoud Hussein Radaideh
• Issa Salem Ismail Darabei
• Jalal Hussam Ahed al-Faqih
• Jamal Nazih Jamil Ja’areh
• Jamal Nimr Khader Hamamreh
• Mahmoud Ahmed Shaker Dudin
• Misbah Khalil Misbah Helles
• Mohammed Attiya Mahmoud Abu Warda
• Mohammed Fawzi Salama Falaneh
• Mohammed Khaled Hassan Amoudi
• Mohammed Lotfi Abdel-Rahim Qashoua
• Mohammed Taha Abdel-Rahman al-Shaalan
• Mohammed Tawfiq Hussein Ghawadreh
• Munther Nayef Mitreb Snobar
• Nasr Jamal Musa Shawish
• Omar Ahmad Abdel-Rahman Abu al-Rub
• Ramzi Mohammed Ahmed Abu Shamma
• Sameh Samir Mohammed al-Shobaki
• Sami Suleiman Ibrahim Jaradat
• Tariq Abdel-Aziz Abdullah Batran
• Wael Yaqeen Musa al-Natsheh
• Wajih Jalal Wajih Khalil

Palestinian captives with Long Sentences:

• Abdel-Rahim Abdel-Qader Muteir Abu Holi
• Abed Mahmoud Abed Rabbo Dwayyat
• Ahed Younis Awadallah Abu Khoussa
• Ahmad Rashad al-Zein Al-Sakani
• Ahmed Daoud Salman Ibrahim
• Ali Mohammed Ali Farajallah
• Amir Nader Fahmi Farroukh
• Amjad Khader Shehadeh Abu Samra
• Anwar Mohammed Masoud al-Assa
• Aref Mohammed Hassan Samara
• Ashraf Rajeh Ahmed Nofal
• Bahaa al-Din Mohammed Ali al-Qassas
• Bilal Abdel-Samih Hussein al-Udeini
• Fathi Mohammed Mahmoud Najjar
• Haithem Jamal Ali Jaber
• Hamdi Mohammed Shehada Tamari
• Hussam Musa Mohammed al-Arouri
• Ibrahim Rabah Mohammed Hubeishah
• Izz al-Din Qassam Ziyad Hassan Awad
• Jihad Ibrahim Ahmad Basha
• Jihad Yousef Mohammed al-Hindi
• Mahmoud Abdel-Wahab Saeed Abdel-Latif
• Mahmoud Ramadan Mohammed Halabi
• Moab Maimoun Jamil Abu Khudeir
• Moayad Mohammed Salim Zayoud
• Mohammed Fahmi Mohammed Farroukh
• Mohammed Farouk Sharif Abu al-Rub
• Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jali
• Mohammed Jamal Mohammed Rushdi
• Mohammed Khaled Mohammed Sabah
• Mohammed Majdi Mustafa Al-Azza
• Mohammed Mansour Mohammed Musa
• Mohammed Shaker Mohammed Tarda
• Murad Ghassan Zuhdi Rajabi
• Musa Mohammed Musa Ajlouni
• Nasser Khaled Mohammed al-Anqawi
• Nidal Mohammed Mustafa al-Burai
• Omar Mohammed Hassan Akkawi
• Qasim Marouf Salim Musallam
• Qutaiba Mohammed Salah Musallam
• Rami Aref Shteiwi Salah el-Din
• Rashid Rasmi Mohammed Rashid Risheq
• Saeed Farouk Mohammed Qunboz
• Shehadeh Nimr Shehadeh al-Jiyawi
• Subhi Ibrahim Mohammed Abu Khalifa
• Tariq Khalil Abbas Dweik
• Yousef Hussein Yousef Haifa
• Zakaria Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Zubeidi

Palestinian Child and Youth Detainees:

• Abdelhadi Mazen Mohammed Jabari – Al-Khalil
• Ahmad Mohammed Nayef al-Hawamdeh – Samu’a, Al-Khalil
• Ahmed Khaled Nafi Assaf – Qabatiya, Jenin
• Ahmed Mahmoud Wajih Nijmeh – Arraba, Jenin
• Ahmed Raed Zaid Farroukh – Sair, Al-Khalil
• Amir Louay Ahmed Abu Arja – Tulkarem
• Awqab Ayman Tawfiq Ibrahim – Jericho
• Bassam Amar Rawhi Ba’arah – Nablus
• Daoud Trad Mohammed Salaymeh – al-Khalil
• Hadi Saber Musa Abu Jadoua – Qalqilya
• Hamza Mohsen Mahmoud Shreim – Qalqilya
• Hudhaifa Amjad Rouhi Murrah – Kafr Malik
• Jadallah Murad Jihad Amara – Asira al-Shamaliya, Nablus
• Maamoun Mahmoud Subhi Hussein – Silwad
• Mahdi Maher Jamil Abu Hamed – Sur Baher, Jerusalem
• Moatassem Mohammed Ahmad Amin Zaid – Qalqilya
• Moataz Mohammed Abdullah Radwani – Tulkarem camp
• Moataz Othman Mohammed Hussein Bukhari – Nablus
• Mohammed Amer Yousef Abu Helal – Abu Dis, Jerusalem
• Mohammed Hosni Abdelqader Qawasmeh – Al-Khalil
• Mohammed Lotfi Omar Mohammed Ali – Jerusalem
• Mohammed Yassin Tayseer Sabah – Bethlehem
• Montasser Iyad Adnan Saqr – Balata camp, Nablus
• Mustafa Nadim Mustafa Abu Rida – Nablus
• Rida Mohammed Obeid – Issawiya, Jerusalem
• Saif al-Din Fayez Mahmoud Mahmoud -Jenin
• Saif al-Din Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Darwish, Aida camp
• Shihab al-Din Othman Ibrahim Zaoul – Hussam, Bethlehem
• Yazan Akram Mohammed Abu al-Haija – Jenin camp
• Zain el-Din Issam Mohammed al-Zeer – Kobar

Once again, as throughout the history of prisoner exchanges, it has been made clear that it is the resistance that brings liberation, to the prisoners, the land and the people of Palestine, a resistance that stretches from the heart of Gaza, throughout Palestine, to Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran, and to the people of the world. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network salutes all of the prisoners, their families and loved ones, and the Resistance and the people of Gaza who have made their liberation possible.

We urge everyone, around the world, to join with the Palestinian people in Gaza and everywhere, to celebrate the achievements of the Resistance and the humiliation of the occupier, and to celebrate and welcome each liberated prisoner as the heroes of our global movement that they are, in public events, with posters and public education, with actions and events exposing Zionism and imperialism everywhere.

We urge all supporters of Palestine and Palestinian and Arab communities to receive and honour the prisoners virtually and symbolically — and pledge to continue the movement until all of them are free, and all of Palestine is free, from the river to the sea.

source: Samidoun

https://abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/?p=14061

#alAqsaFlood #gaza #hamas #palestine #PoliticalPrisoners #westAsia

Southern Africa: Growing Authoritarianism Threatens Rights

https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/16/southern-africa-growing-authoritarianism-threatens-rights

Several governments across Southern Africa grew increasingly authoritarian and intolerant of dissent throughout 2024. Attacks on civic space and media have far-reaching implications…

#Africa #Authoritarianism #HumanRights #Intolerance #Attacks #CivicSpaces #Media #PoliticalPrisoners #Power #Competition #Journalists #GovernmentKillings #Displacement #BlockingAid #Discrimination #Policies #Fraud #Corruption

Palestinian Political Prisoner Khalida Jarrar’s Solitary Detention Extended

On Dec 23, the Zionist regime announced the extension of Khalida Jarrar’s solitary confinement until Jan 22, 2025.

Khalida Jarrar, Palestinian human rights activist, feminist, leftist and former member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was abducted by the occupation forces on Dec 26, 2023

https://abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/13343/

#AlAqsaFlood #KhalidaJarrar #palestine #PoliticalPrisoners #repression #WestBank

After 16 Years in Prison, Holy Land Five Member Mufid Abdulqader Has Been Released

After 16 years behind bars, Mufid Abdulqader, a member of the “Holy Land Five” has been released from prison into a halfway house. The Palestinian American is slated to spend one year at the facility.

The case of the Holy Land 5 has become a symbol of the unconstitutional overreach associated with U.S. counterterrorism since 9/11.

https://abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/13108/

#HolyLand5 #NorthAmerica #palestine #PoliticalPrisoners