Qaraqe: Palestinian Prisoners Seek to Be Recognized as Prisoners of War
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- Published on Thursday, 16 August 2012 12:37
PNN
On Thursday 16Th August, Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Qaraqe, said in a press release that the Palestinian Captive Movement launched a new national program, with legal and political dimensions, asking to be recognised as 'war prisoners', according to the international and humanitarian law.
Qaraqe added that the new program advocated by the prisoners in Eishel Israeli prison fits into the campaign of rights groups who try to put pressure on Israeli authorities in order to recognise the prisoners as 'prisoners of war', in line with the third and fourth Geneva Convention, and to stop subjecting them to Israeli internal military laws.
Palestinian prisoners seek to present the new program during the September meeting of the Human Rights Council, as well as at the United Nations General Assembly, and to have it legally adopted by the Palestinian authorities.
Qaraqe said that the Ministry of Prisoners issued the draft version of the program three years ago, and presented it at several international meetings and conferences. The Palestinian authority and its President Mahmoud Abbas expressed their support and said that it would be one of the priorities at the upcoming International Conference for Prisoners that will take place in Iraq in December, following the resolutions of the Arab League which decided to internationalize the issue of prisoners.
Qaraqe also said that a Palestinian legal committee will gather soon to set up a work plan regarding the issue of prisoners, in cooperation with the Palestinian Foreign Ministry.
