[BearwWthoutBorders] Fwd: Urgent Action Alert: Defend Addameer and Raided Palestinian Grassroots and Civil Society Institutions!

[sam4wp at netscape.net]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Samidoun <samidoun at samidoun.ca>
To: sam4wp <sam4wp at netscape.net>
Sent: Wed, Dec 12, 2012 1:15 pm
Subject: Urgent Action Alert: Defend Addameer and Raided Palestinian Grassroots and Civil Society Institutions!


                    
 
UrgentAction Alert: Defend Addameer and Raided PalestinianGrassroots and Civil Society Institutions!


At 3 a.m. on December 11, Israeli occupation forcesraided the offices of Addameer Prisoner Support and HumanRights Association, the Union of Palestinian Women’sCommittees, and the Palestinian NGO Network. Click here to take action to defend humanrights defenders!
The offices were ransacked, their doors broken in,their computers and hard drives confiscated and theirmaterials damaged, confiscated and destroyed. ThesePalestinian human rights defenders are on the front lines indefending the rights of Palestinian prisoners, organizingPalestinian women, and coordinating Palestinian civilsociety in the face of the Israeli occupation. Click here to write Israeli officials inprotest.
Addameer reported that this was the firstraid by the IOF since 2002, when the Addameer office wasraided during the invasion of Ramallah. “Ourimprisoned colleague Ayman Nasser told the Ofer militarycourt, ‘I will pursue the just cause of the prisonerseven if the price is my own freedom.’ This is what weconfirm following the Israeli raid,” said one messagefrom Addameer (see Electronic Intifada report).
It should be noted that this attack comes onHuman Rights Day, the anniversary of the signing of theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights. The blatant violationof Palestinian human rights is but the latest in a longstring of attacks on the Palestinian movement and itspopular organizations.
Said Addameer in its statement, “Addameer believes that thisbrutal assault is part of the constant targeting of theassociation’s staff and mission to defend Palestinianpolitical prisoners. Since 2002, Addameer has been subjectedto raids and attacks and arrest campaigns of staff membersin past years. Most recently, Addameer’sresearcher, Ayman Nasser, was detained on 15 October 2012 andis charged for supporting Palestinian prisoners anddetainees and calling for their freedom…Addameerbelieves that these ongoing attacks aim to destroy thelegitimacy of non-governmental organizations, and bydisregarding our status as human rights defenders, raidingand ransacking resources and arresting staff members, theydelegitimize human rights work and normalize the attacks onour offices.”
Other attacks on Palestinian human rights defenderswas noted, including travel bans imposed on Addameer boardmember Abdullatif Ghaith and prohibition ofAddameer lawyers from visiting prisoners in Israeli jails,as well as Israeli targeting of journalists during theaggression on Gaza. It should also be noted that the Union of Agricultural Work Committees werealso recently the target of series of arrests againstgrassroots organizers of farmers in the West Bank, part ofthe ongoing campaign of harassment and targeting ofPalestinian civil society.
See video of attack on UPWC office: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ubkq0aiHvLQ
See photos of destruction in Addameeroffices: http://samidoun.ca/2012/12/urgent-action-alert-defend-addameer-and-raided-palestinian-grassroots-and-civil-society-institutions/ -see Addameer on Facebook and Twitter.

TAKE ACTION!
The US and Canadian governments have been staunchdefenders of ongoing Israeli violations of Palestinian humanrights. It is urgent that people around the world takeaction to defend Palestinian human rights defenders anddemand an end to the attacks on Palestinian grassroots andcivil society organizations!
1. Write immediately to Israeli officials and demand anend to the persecution of Palestinian human rightsdefenders. Click here to send a letter now.
2. Contact your government officials anddemand an end to the persecution of Palestinian human rightsdefenders. In Canada, call the office of JohnBaird, Foreign Minister, and demand an end to Canadiansupport for Israel and justice for Palestinian prisoners, at: 613-990-7720; Email: bairdj at parl.gc.ca. In the US, callthe White House at 1-202-456-1111 and call the StateDepartment at 1-202-647-4003. Demand that Canada and the UStake a stand and stop supporting the attacks onPalestinians. (See Facebook event for call-in campaign)
3. Join a protest or demonstration outsidean Israeli consulate to defend Palestinian grassroots andcivil society organizations. Organizing an event,action or forum on Palestinian prisoners on your city orcampus? Use this form to contactus and we will post the eventwidely. If you need suggestions, materials orspeakers for your event, please contact us atsamidoun at samidoun.ca. 
4. Join in the call for Boycott,Divestment and Sanctions. Boycott Israeliproducts, and academic and cultural institutions until allPalestinian rights (including the right of refugees toreturn, to be free from occupation and for full equality)are fulfilled – including freeing the thousands ofPalestinian prisoners behind bars and implementingPalestinian human rights.
 



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