Palestinian Prisoners’ Day is dedicated to the freedom of prisoners and a demand for their rights.
Since 1967, more than a million Palestinians have been detained in Israeli occupation prisons. Prisoners include children, women, Palestinian rights activists and politicians. Imprisonment is used as a tool of occupation and apartheid to suppress Palestinian self-determination. Prisoners are subjected to abuse of legal process, torture and mistreatment, forced transfer and enforced separation from family, as well as dire prison conditions.
By not intervening or sanctioning Israel for these breaches, Australia is complicit in what amounts to significant and egregious violations of multiple international human rights laws, including the Geneva Convention, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Australian government must fulfil its international legal obligation, this includes:
- Publicly acknowledging violations
- Demanding immediate protections and access
- Triggering accountability measures
- Ending Australian complicity
Take action with us this Prisoners Day.
Use Prisoners Day to engage with your community, raise awareness about Israel’s prison regime, and pressure our government to demand they intervene to end Israel’s illegal imprisonment of Palestinians.
Take one of the following actions, or come up with your own plan.
1. Attend the webinar
Hear from leading Palestinian activists and advocates about Israel’s prison regime and how we can fight against it.
2. Host a film screening
Organise a film screening to reach new audiences and help build our movement. Check out our film list and screening toolkit below.
3. Engage with your MP.
Use our toolkit to engage with your MP on this issue, and back in our calls for sanctions. We’ve created an MP messaging guide to help.
Useful Resources
Grassroots Campaigns
Free Marwan Barghouti
Marwan Barghouti is often described as Palestine’s Nelson Mandela.
Like Mandela, he has been unjustly imprisoned for over 23 years for resisting oppression and fighting for the rights of his people.
Visit Free Palestine Melbourne’s website to take action and join the global campaign.
Stop the Torture of Palestinian and Lebanese Prisoners – Open the Prisons to the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been denied access to visit Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons since October 2023.
This has meant that Palestinian political prisoners are not able to access integral legal documents that the ICRC is able to provide or documentation of the inhumane treatment and conditions they are subjected to.
Got an idea for a campaign action?
We’d love to hear from you!
Get in touch to let us know about your plans, ask for support, or find out more information about the campaign.