On 15th April 2002, elected member of Palestinian Parliament Marwan Barghouti was abducted by the Israeli occupation forces, in the Al-Bireh district of Ramallah. Following his arrest, Marwan Barghouti was transferred to the ‘Russian Compound’ in Jerusalem, where he was subjected to extensive physical and psychological abuse. His arrest, transfer to Israeli territory and subsequent treatment at the hands of his captors were in clear breach of the following:
• The Oslo Accords (Under the terms defined by these accords,
Ramallah is part of Area A which falls under Palestinian jurisdiction. Israel
has no legal jurisdiction over individuals, in particular elected members of
the Palestinian Parliament, located in Area A).
• The 4th Geneva Convention (Article 49 proscribes the transfer
of people under occupation to the territory of the occupier).
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 5),
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 7)
and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment.
Israel is a signatory to all of the above.
Soon after his abduction, under the initiative of fellow politicians, NGO workers,
lawyers, doctors and other high profile local personalities, The Campaign
to Free Marwan Barghouti and All Prisoners was formed. The initial
impetus behind the campaign’s existence was a shared conviction that beyond
the blatant illegality of Marwan’s arrest, his case typified the way in which
the Israeli state administers justice on the Palestinians based on political
rather than judicial grounds.
The campaign was immediately characterized by the massive popular support which it received from the Palestinian people, thousands registering their solidarity and volunteering their time to work for Marwan’s and the countless other political prisoners’ cause. However, by virtue of Marwan’s status as an elected member of the Palestinian Parliament (PLC), the campaign quickly gained an international dimension. Institutions throughout the Arab world, European parliamentarians, members of the Israeli Knesset, solidarity campaigns from across the globe and various political and intellectual personalities came out with their support for the campaign and assisted in enhancing the exposure and understanding of Marwan’s plight. An international board of advisors to the campaign was quickly formed, consisting of the following: Mr. Nelson Mandela, Mr. Ahmed Ben Bella, Mr. Haidar Abdel-Shafi, Hanan Ashrawi, Noam Chomsky, Mr. Mahmoud Darwish, Edward Said, Khaled Mohieddin and Jose Saramago.
Goals
1. The Campaign to Free Marwan Barghouti and All Prisoners
aims to unify all local, regional and international efforts aimed at pressurizing
the Israeli government into releasing Marwan Barghouti.
2. The campaign also endeavors to shed light on the issue of Palestinian and
other Arab prisoners that are being held in Israeli prisons, and will pull every
lever at its disposal in order to ensure that this issue is included in final
status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. To do so, it operates
in close cooperation with all Palestinian civil institutions, in particular
other Palestinian and international organizations whose goal it is to raise
awareness of the issue of Palestinian and other Arab political prisoners.
3. Finally, the campaign considers itself to be a part of the wider struggle
for Palestinian independence and self-determination, since it believes that
the plights of Marwan Barghouti and other prisoners cannot be separated from
the wider issue of the constant violations of international agreements and of
Palestinians’ human rights perpetrated by the Israeli state.
Financing
In spite of its wide ranging activities, The Campaign to Free Marwan Barghouti and All Prisoners
has limited resources at its disposal. This reality is exacerbated by the fact
that the organization has, throughout its existence, insisted upon maintaining
its financial and operative independence from all political parties and
politically affiliated organizations.
The Campaign to Free Marwan Barghouti and All Prisoners is
a not for profit organization registered officially at the Palestinian Ministry
of Interior under reference RA/1123112. In accordance with Palestinian law,
the campaign is subject to auditing by Talal Abu Ghazaleh Company.
