G4S Protest Demands Freedom For Palestinian Hunger Striker Bilal Kayed

inminds
20 August 2016

On Friday 19th August 2016 Inminds human rights group protested outside the global headquarters of the worlds largest private security company G4S in Victoria, London to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Palestinian hunger striker Bilal Kayed who had been on hunger strike for 66 days. Inminds also demanded an end to Israel's illegal policy of punitive Administrative Detention whereby Palestinians like Bilal Kayed are caged without charge or trial for an indefinite period of time with no means to defend themselves.

G4S partners with the Israeli occupation to secure many of its prisons where Palestinians are caged and tortured. Bilal Kayed was previously caged at Israel's G4S secured Megiddo prison where G4S provides the central command room from where the entire prison is controlled.

Bilal Kayed was imprisoned by the Israeli military occupation in 2001, he completed his full 14.5 years sentence on 13th June 2016. But instead of being released as scheduled to meet his waiting family at the military checkpoint, he was re-arrested without charge or trial and ordered to indefinitely-renewable 6 months administrative detention. To demand his freedom Bilal Kayed went on hunger strike.

Inminds chair Abbas Ali said "There are certain crimes that the occupation perpetrates that if left unchallenged, set a new dangerous precedent for all Palestinians.. The hunting down and murder of former prisoner Omar Zayed's in Europe was one such example and today we have the arbitrary caging of Bilal Kayed without charge or trial after he has already served his full 14.5 years sentence. If we don't fight this decision today then it will hang over every imprisoned Palestinian like a sword of Damocles. We must fight this injustice now!"

After 66 days on hunger strike Kayed's health is deteriorating fast and is vulnerable to cerebral haemorrhage, heart attack or stroke due to the physical strain on his body. He has been denied access to an independent doctor and is currently suffering from “chest pain, kidney, jaw, eyes, ears, legs, as well as severe headache. He also suffers from blurred vision, numbness throughout the body, hair loss, as well as yellowness and peeling of the skin."

Despite his condition Kayed is kept chained, with his right hand and left foot shackled to his bed. Additional shackles have also been added to his feet, chaining him to the bed, despite the appeal submitted to the High Court by Physicians for Human Rights to remove the shackling of his hand and legs. In this state he is taunted and intimidated with 25 armed officers storming his hospital room and surrounding him. Meanwhile the occupation military court has set Kayed's hearing date for 5th October knowing full well that he will probably not survive till then.

Inminds chair Abbas Ali said "Its clear that by setting his court hearing date two months away, that the occupation wants to kill Bilal Kayed. Bilal was a leader of the prisoners resistance inside the prisons.. the occupation is afraid of him.. they don't want him to leave their prison alive."

Nearly 100 fellow Palestinian prisoners have joined Kayed on hunger strike and there is an international campaign to demand Bilal Kayed’s freedom with protests across the globe. Today there are around 750 Palestinians being held indefinitely without charge or trial, with no way to defend themselves, under Israel's illegal use of administrative detention. 127 administrative detention orders were issued last month in July 2016.

Inminds chair Abbas Ali said "Since 2007 the British security contractor G4S has worked hand in glove with the Israeli occupation, helping it secure its military prisons where Palestinians are brutally tortured and caged in violation of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. G4S is a British company, we in Britain have a direct responsibility to end this company's involvement in the crimes perpetrated against Palestinian political prisoners like Bilal Kayed."

UPDATE

On 25th August Bilal Kayed ended his hunger strike after 71 days following the conclusion of an agreement with Israeli occupation prison administration that he will be released in December 2016, with no renewal of administrative detention. The hunger strike of fellow prisoners continues including Mahmoud al-Balboul, on strike since 1 July; Mohammed al-Balboul, his brother, on strike since 4 July; and Ayed al-Herama and Malik al-Qadi, on strike since 14 July, all protesting administrative detention without charge or trial.

On 31st August 2016 Bilal Kayed wrote a letter from Ramle prison clinic urging support for the hunger strikers:

To the heroic Palestinian masses…and to the free people of the world:

My thanks and appreciation for all of your sacrifices for the sake of Palestine and the Palestinian cause which is too often lost in the halls of politics and the shelves of postponement, and in particular the cause of the prisoners, which is abandoned and lost here and there. Today, this issue was brought to the table with your efforts and your support and your mobilization in the homeland and in the diaspora. The prisoners are yesterday’s strugglers and tomorrow’s leaders. We must support them and I remind you that there are still those prisoners who are fighting a vicious battle against this occupier that does not understand anything but the language of challenge. You are the ones who can do this; and I remind you of the two Balboul brothers and Malik al-Qadi, and bless the victory of Ayed al-Heraimi, which is no less than my victory and the victory of others. I call upon you to stand with them in their struggle until the battle of hunger is victorious against the arsenal of the occupier. Inevitably, they will win.

Let us not forget the sick prisoners and those who are suffering from deliberate medical neglect, administrative detainees, and the re-arrested freed prisoners who have been set by the occupation for a slow execution. I do not forget my comrades who continue to refuse to bow in the dungeons of solitary confinement, deprivation of visits, redution of rights who remain on strike to defend the prisoners. The truth is that they are the ones who have written the glorious historical epic, from the teen prisoners, the girls, the leaders and the elders, at their head the General Secretary, Comrade Ahmad Sa’adat, and the leaders of the PFLP prison branch, as the occupation attempts to dismantle the organization and liquidate the victory, but every moment, they are victorious. Certainly, they will prevail.

Your brother, Bilal Kayed
From Ramle Prison Clinic
31 August 2016

VIDEO - London Protest Demands ICRC Restore Family Visits For Palestinian Prisoners And Freedom For Hunger Striker Bilal Kayed

SPEECH - BILAL KAYED

We are here today outside the global headquarters of the world’s largest private security company G4S, which helps secure Israel’s dungeons, to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Palestinian hunger striker Bilal Kayed who has been on hunger strike for 66 days today.

Bilal Kayed was imprisoned by the Israeli military in 2001, he completed his full 14.5 years sentence on 13th June 2016. But instead of being released as scheduled to meet his waiting family at the military checkpoint, he was re-arrested without charge or trial and ordered to indefinitely-renewable 6 months administrative detention. To demand his freedom Bilal Kayed went on hunger strike.

Today Bilal Kayed is on day 66 of his hunger strike. Kayed's health is deteriorating fast and is vulnerable to cerebral haemorrhage, heart attack or stroke due to the physical strain on his body. He has been denied access to an independent doctor and is currently suffering from “chest pain, kidney, jaw, eyes, ears, legs, as well as severe headache. He also suffers from blurred vision, numbness throughout the body, hair loss, as well as yellowness and peeling of the skin." Latest reports say he has lost the ability to speak.

Nearly 100 fellow Palestinian prisoners have joined Kayed on hunger strike and there is an international campaign to demand Bilal Kayed’s freedom with protests across the globe. Today there are around 750 Palestinians being held like Kayed - indefinitely without charge or trial, with no way to defend themselves, under Israel's illegal use of administrative detention. 127 administrative detention orders were issued last month in July 2016.

We have a letter from Bilal Kayed written in prison on day 48 of his hunger strike:

To my heroic Palestinian people…
Free people of the world…

In this difficult stage that I am enduring on a personal level, in the struggle against the attempt to force my submission to the brutal occupation which made a decision to liquidate me, for nothing but the fact that I stood beside the prisoners of my people, defending my rights and their rights and the rights of their families to achieve even the minimum conditions for human dignity. It is not strange that I find myself supported by all of my people, who surround me with their shouts and cries and their support and tireless efforts to remove the injustice that has been inflicted upon me and upon the prisoners. This comes in accordance with the national understanding that I was raised with, by you, my people, and by the free people of the world, wherever they are. In the West Bank, rising up against oppression; in the occupied lands [of 1948], proud and rooted in the land and upholding their identity; my heroic people in victorious Gaza, and all of the free people of the world, of all nationalities and backgrounds.

I am here, today, finishing my first stage in my battle with this brutal occupier, and I have declared my second stage, which is one of unity with all prisoners from all backgrounds and political parties so that we can all, collectively, stand at the point of the arrow of the national struggle, inside and outside the prisons.

After receiving this decision by the military occupation courts (as I expected) [to reject his appeal against administrative detention] ignoring my freedom, life and dignity, it is necessary that I respond in order to confront this brutal decision. So starting from today, 1 August 2016, I am refusing all medical examinations presented by doctors in the hospital. I am demanding my immediate return to prison despite my deteriorating health conditions, to stand in one front and on one line in the prison cells of the occupation, side by side with all of the revolting prisoners, raising our loud voice: Your decision will not pass easily! Especially after the occupation has crossed another red line, even more dangerous, by sending me to administrative detention, which aims to liquidate all of the leaders of the prisoners’ movement and its cadres and those who raise high its banner defending the right of prisoners to freedom and dignity.

My heroic people, the hour of struggle has arrived. I am full of hope. As I have always known you, that you are the protective wall, defending our struggle. What I have received from you through your struggles, your sit-ins, your demonstrations, gives me more determination to continue forward until victory. Either freedom or martyrdom.

Victory is inevitable

Bilal Kayed
Barzilai Hospital
1 August 2016

We demand freedom for Bilal Kayed
Freedom for all the 750 administrative detainees held by Israel without charge or trial
Freedom for the 350 children Israel has caged!
Freedom for all 7000 Palestinian political prisoners!
Free Palestine!

SPEECH - G4S

We are here today outside the global headquarters of the world’s largest private security company G4S to demand G4S end its complicity with the illegal Israeli occupation.

Since 2007 the British security contractor G4S has worked hand in glove with the Israeli occupation, helping it secure its military prisons where Palestinians, including children as young as 12 years old, are brutally tortured and caged in violation of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Bilal Kayed was caged at Israel's G4S secured Megiddo prison where G4S provides the central command room from where the entire prison is controlled.

A legal study conducted by the Diakonia International Humanitarian Law Resource Centre found that G4S has “failed to demonstrate a genuine commitment to comply with international law in good faith” and is complicit in several of Israel’s violations of international law.

Similarly a 2012 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 criticises G4S for its complicity with Israeli violations of international law.

G4S is a British company, we in Britain have a direct responsibility to end this company's involvement in the crimes perpetrated against Palestinian political prisoners like Bilal Kayed. We urge you to boycott G4S. Please ask your local council, your university or college, your local bank and supermarket to stop using the services of G4S. Thank you.

Free Palestine!