S&Ds call for respect of Palestinian prisoners’ rights

S&D Group vice-president Elena Valenciano said:

“More than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 300 children and 13 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, are in Israeli jails today. More than 1,500 of them decided to go on a hunger strike to protest against unfair trials, administrative detention, torture and degrading treatment, and the denial of their basic rights, such as the right to family visits. Respecting the rights of detainees is not a matter of choice but a fundamental obligation for everyone across the world, including for Israel. International law remains the cornerstone of our hopes for a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Those acting against international law act against peace and will have to face the consequences. It is in this spirit that we support the sending of a European Parliament delegation on a fact-finding mission to inquire into the situation of Palestinian prisoners."

S&D Group vice-president Victor BoÅŸtinaru added:

“Palestinian prisoners play an important role in Palestinian society and their voice cannot be ignored by the international community. International humanitarian and human rights law must be respected by all involved in the conflict. We all know how difficult it is to achieve even little progress in peace efforts, while it is much easier to fuel tensions. Therefore, we call for full respect of the rights of Palestinian prisoners. We also condemn all acts of terrorism, violence, provocation and incitement on both sides. Any such action must be prevented and condemned, perpetrators must be held to account, and any mechanism rewarding them must be avoided."