Bethlehem/PNN /
In a poignant statement released on March 8, 2024, Munther Amira, a recently freed Palestinian detainee, sheds light on the harrowing conditions endured by Palestinian detainees and calls for global solidarity and immediate action.
Amira, having faced severe mistreatment, denial of medical care, and exposure to torture and sexual violence during his incarceration, draws attention to the systemic dehumanization campaign orchestrated by the Israeli occupation. He describes the prisons as "graveyards for the living," symbolic of a settler colonial regime aiming to erase Palestinian identity and dignity.
The former detainee underscores the alarming complicity of the Israeli judicial system, emphasizing the need for international recognition of the systematic violence and oppression. Amira expresses gratitude to individuals, organizations, and the global community for their unwavering support, stressing the importance of collective action and global solidarity in the fight for justice.
He urges the international community to acknowledge the broader context of the ongoing genocide against Gaza and highlights the intentional link between mass arbitrary detentions and the wider war against Palestine. Amira contends that the widespread and systematic abuses perpetrated by the Israeli occupation constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and amount to war crimes under international law.
Calling for immediate and decisive action to protect the rights of Palestinian detainees, Amira insists on holding the Israeli occupation accountable and demanding the release of all arbitrarily detained Palestinians. He emphasizes the international community's responsibility to address the root causes of the settler colonial regime, advocating for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and acknowledging the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.
As a witness to unimaginable horrors faced by fellow Palestinians behind bars, Amira concludes his statement by emphasizing the urgent need for the international community to end its silence and take concrete steps to end the violence and suffering endured by Palestinian detainees.