The rally, as the organizers pointed out, comes as a reaction to the passing of a law that allows the death penalty to be imposed on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. They emphasized that it is about the institutionalization of violence through legislative frameworks, which causes serious concern in the context of international humanitarian law and basic human rights.
The president of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-Palestinian Friendship Association, Avdo Hebib, spoke on behalf of Palestinian journalists, Hala Hamad, the representative of the Palestinian Community in BiH, Aldiana Neiroukh, on behalf of the children of the Palestinian Community in BiH, Sara Shehada, and the ambassador of the State of Palestine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sylvia Abu Laban.
The President of the Association, Avdo Hebib, at the meeting held at the memorial dedicated to the murdered children of Sarajevo, pointed out that the Association has been working within its capabilities for years to support “the just struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom and life in their own state”.
He recalled the suffering of children during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and emphasized that the number of children suffering in Palestine is also constantly increasing.
– Every minute brings new information about the victims – said Hebib.
He reminded that the struggle of the Palestinian people has lasted for more than seven decades, expressing the hope that, as he said, “the Palestinian people will fight for freedom, the return of the displaced and a normal life in their homeland.”
The Palestinian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sylvia Abu Laban, said that the celebration of the Day of Palestinian Prisoners does not have a symbolic character, but aims to draw the attention of the international public to systematic violations of basic human rights. She emphasized the occurrence of detention without trial, trials without basic procedural guarantees, inclusion of children in the penal system, house arrest, and denial of adequate health care and food.
In particular, she stated that prisoners are often denied access to lawyers and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in addition to being subjected to torture and humiliating treatment, threats of the death penalty and retention of the bodies of the deceased.
The ambassador pointed out that the neutrality and hesitation of international actors in such circumstances cannot be justified, with the message that reference to international law loses its meaning if it does not include persons deprived of their liberty.
Speaking on behalf of the children of the Palestinian community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sara Shehada pointed out that the appeal is being made on behalf of thousands of Palestinian parents who are in prisons, as well as on behalf of their children.
– Now they want to introduce a law on the execution of our prisoners. It is an unjust law that violates all human values and the laws of the United Nations. Such measures cannot be considered a law, but a judgment against humanity itself – Shehada pointed out.
The Palestinian community in Bosnia and Herzegovina organized a solidarity gathering in coordination with the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-Palestinian Friendship Association, and numerous activists.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
