Al-Istiqlal University launched the international scientific conference entitled “The Issues of Palestinian Prisoners in the Media”, which was organized by the Al-Istiqlal Center for Strategic Studies in conjunction with its presentation at Al-Aqsa University in the Gaza Strip and the Negev Prison.
The conference included Lt. Gen. Haj Ismail Jaber, the President’s Adviser for Provincial Affairs and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Al-Istiqlal University, Prof. Dr. Saleh Abu Osba, the President of the University, and his deputies and assistants, Maj. Gen. Qadri Abu baker, the Chairman of the Detainees and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission, Mr. Qadora Fares, the President of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, Dr. Mohammed Halsa, the President of the Conference, many representatives of institutions, ministries, security forces, families of prisoners, and the University staff.
Lt. Gen. Jaber conveyed the greetings of HE President Mahmoud Abbas, and the Palestinian leadership, which attaches great importance to the issue of prisoners, as it constitutes a popular national situation that unites all Palestinians, and embodies an integral part of the Palestinian struggle against the practices of the abhorrent Zionist occupation and its systematic repressive against the Palestinians.
Furthermore, he said” the prisoners were born out of the womb of suffering, and with their sacrifices and steadfastness, they underlined the highest meanings of pride and dignity amid the injustice and oppression practices against them. Despite being in the Israeli prisons, they were able to turn their suffering into a path full of hope at the dawn of freedom, so they were keen to increase their knowledge and graduate from many schools, and universities as fighters with knowledge and culture".
Also, he spoke about the most prominent policies pursued by the occupation against our brave prisoners, including torture, isolation, deprivation, unfair administrative detention, almost daily inspections, and medical negligence, besides the arbitrary racist laws approved by the Israeli Knesset. And, he congratulated all the prisoners who embodied honorable models with their struggle, which necessitates highlighting their real situation to the whole world through a media perspective that documents their creativity and success stories through a comprehensive strategic plan.
For his part, Maj. Gen. Abu Baker indicated that the number of Palestinian prisoners is about 4,650, including 760 administrative detainees, 80 children under 18 years of age, 40 under 10 years of age who are subject to house arrest, and 600 suffering from chronic diseases, especially Nasser Abu Hamid and 229 spent more than 20, besides the 230 martyrs of the Palestinian captive movement, praising the role of local and Algerian media institutions in particular for publishing annual reports and broadcasting them through their means and platforms.
Moreover, Mr. Fares expressed his happiness and pride in being at Al-Istiqlal University which is a major part of the Palestinian institutions, praising this initiative which discusses the issues of the Palestinian prisoners under the Israeli occupation, and responds to allegations and falsehoods which aim to obliterate the Palestinian narrative and to continue the struggle that is being consolidated today by our 30 hunger strikers.
In conjunction, Dr. Mohammed Dabous, the Chairman of the Scientific Committee, said “Based on the responsibility of the University and its humanitarian and moral duty, this conference comes to shed light on the life of the prisoners in all its details within three face-to-face sessions and one virtual, which includes 20 scientific papers from the West Bank, Gaza, Libya, Malaysia, according to the standards and methods of scientific research. We hope to come up with recommendations and results that will put their case on the right legal media track so that it will remain alive in the Arab and international conscience.
In his speech, Mr. Saed Adwan, the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee, thanked all the contributors and organizers of the conference (preparatory, scientific, and media), and their unremitting efforts to highlight the experiences of the prisoners, and to bring their voices to international forums, in fulfillment of their legitimate rights, and the gratitude for their sacrifices to the homeland.
The conference included seven main themes: international law, rehabilitation of prisoners, child prisoners, female prisoners, sick prisoners, and hunger strikers, experiences and successes, and how media deals with their issues.