International campaign demanding release of Marwan Barghouti launched in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, Dec. 21 (YPA) – An international campaign calling for the release of Palestinian prisoner leader Marwan Barghouti and all Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons was launched in front of Bethlehem Municipality in the central West Bank, with wide official and popular participation.

The campaign, organized by Bethlehem Municipality in cooperation with prisoner support organizations, aims to emphasize the centrality of the prisoners’ cause in national awareness and to reject the occupation’s repressive policies against them.

Bethlehem Mayor Maher Qanawati said that prisoners face extremely difficult humanitarian conditions in Israeli jails, amid escalating violations and punitive measures, particularly administrative detention, under which large numbers of prisoners are held without charge or trial for unspecified periods.

He stressed that this policy constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and called on the international community and human rights organizations to assume their responsibilities and act urgently to stop these violations.

Participants in the event said the campaign seeks to renew commitment to the prisoners, shed light on their suffering, and mobilize broader international support for their just cause.

They called for the immediate release of all prisoners, an end to administrative detention, and accountability for the occupation’s crimes against them.

@E.Y.M