Alwaght- Imprisoned Palestinian parliamentarian Marwan Barghouti, who has been leading a hunger strike for nearly month, vowed to go ahead with the Dignity strike as Palestinian mark Nakba Day.
Barghouti who is also a member of the Central Committee of the Fatah Movement, warned against the resumption of negotiations with Israeli regime based on the previously announced conditions, specifying six conditions for the resumption of negotiations.
He called for “the launch of the largest popular movement and civil disobedience movement as well as giving consideration to the national liberation discourse again as Palestinians mark the 50th anniversary of the occupation (the 1967 borders) and as the 70th anniversary of the Nakba is approaching.” He stressed, “The battle (hunger strike) of freedom and dignity is an integral part of the struggle against the occupation to overthrow the unfair apartheid regime.”
He appealed to the Palestinian factions, especially Fatah and Hamas, to achieve national reconciliation and to renew dialogue in order to hold a national conference of comprehensive dialogue in order to reach a covenant and partnership document among factions, to preserve Palestinian representation and to prevent the collapse of the Palestinian political system, which is living through its weakest moments.
Barghouti paid tribute to the striking prisoners, pledging to continue the battle of freedom and dignity for Palestine until achieving its objectives.
He condemned the Israeli brutal persecution of hunger striking prisoners, who went on hunger strike to achieve their just human demands. Barghouti's statement came after a visit made by lawyer Khader Shkirat at the Jalameh detention center after the Israeli regime prison authorities prevented the lawyers from doing so for 28 days.
Shkirat added that Barghouti's cell lacks all basic requirements. It is full of insects and bugs, and only one blanket is available, adding that it does not contain any kind of books including the Holy Quran. He added that Barghouthi has lost 12 kilograms of his weight since beginning the hunger strike.
More than 1,600 Palestinian prisoners have joined the protest action dubbed the Freedom and Dignity Strike since April 17, which was initially called by Barghouti. The strikers are demanding basic rights, such as an end to the policies of administrative detention, solitary confinement and deliberate medical negligence.
