Sheffield Palestine campaigners call for release of prisoner amid news of assaults
A Sheffield Palestinian twinning association is calling for one of the country’s prominent leaders to be released from an Israeli jail amid fears he faces increasing danger.
Sheffield Nablus Twinning Association (SNTA) held its annual meeting last Monday (April 13) which heard via live link from Arab Barghouti, the son of Marwan Barghouti. He campaigns for his father’s releasae.
Sheffield City Council has signed a friendship link with the city of Nablus, on the West Bank.
Mr Barghouti has been held in prison in Israel for 24 years on a charge of murder. Called Palestine’s Nelson Mandela, he is seen widely as a figure who is capable of uniting Palestinian factions to take on a leadership role in his country.
After the Israeli Knesset (parliament) recently passed a law allowing the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners, Mr Barghouti’s life is seen by campaigners as being at high risk.
Unconscious
Calls for him to be included in prisoner exchanges have been refused by Israel.
The meeting heard that in the last few weeks Mr Barghouti has been beaten repeatedly by prison guards, on one occasion being left unconscious, and that a prison dog attacked him in his cell.
Family visits are not allowed and he is only permitted to see his lawyer infrequently, who is the family’s main source of news about his wellbeing, the meeting heard. News about the attacks has also come from prisoners who have been released recently.
“We are seriously worried about Marwan Barghouti’s safety and demand his immediate release,” said Julie Pearn, SNTA secretary. “We need our UK government to join the international campaign to free Marwan Barghouti,” added group chair Martin Mayer.
Other speakers at the event held in Channing Hall on Surrey Street in the city centre included Sheffield Lord Mayor Coun Safiya Saeed, Raed Debiy, head of political sciences at An Najah University in Nablus, fellow Nablus academic Saida Affouneh, and Yihya Siran, vice-chair of the Brent-Nablus Twinning Association in London.
Alma Irshaid, president of Seeds for Development and Culture, was due to speak but could not attend.
Palestine supporters held a silent march and rally in Sheffield city centre on Saturday (April 18) to mark Palestine Prisoners’ Day. An image of Mr Barghouti was featured among those of prisoners carried by marchers.