[Ppnews] Palestinian Political Prisoners - Woroud Qasem and Bilal Diab released today

[Political Prisoner News]

    Woroud Qasem and Bilal Diab released today
    <http://samidoun.ca/2012/08/woroud-qasem-and-bilal-diab-released-today/>


by samidoun <http://samidoun.ca/?author=1>

http://samidoun.ca/2012/08/woroud-qasem-and-bilal-diab-released-today/

Palestinian prisoners Woroud Qasem and Bilal Diab were released today 
from Israeli occupation prisons.

Woroud Qasem, from al-Tira in occupied Palestine '48 was released today, 
August 9, 2012 after serving nearly six years in prison. She was 
welcomed back to her village by hundreds of people who came to greet 
her; she was one of a few women political prisoners who were not 
released in the October 2011 prisoner exchange. She delivered a speech 
upon her return, calling upon all institutions to highlight the struggle 
and suffering of Palestinian political prisoners.

Also released today is former hunger striker Bilal Diab 
<http://samidoun.ca/2012/05/70-days-for-bilal-diab-and-thaer-halahleh-as-their-appeal-is-rejected-take-action-for-2500-prisoners-on-hunger-strike/>, 
whose 78-day hunger strike alongside fellow administrative detainee 
Thaer Halahleh lasted throughout the April-May 2012 mass prisoner hunger 
strike.  Diab was also welcomed by hundreds who greeted him as a hero, 
as he returned to his village Kufr al-Rai, outside Nablus. Among others, 
his fellow former hunger strikers and heroes of the "battle of the empty 
stomachs," Halahleh and Khader Adnan, were among the first to greet him.

Long term hunger striker Hassan Safadi, who was in administrative 
detention as well, and who Israel refused to release in June in 
violation of the agreement ending the April-May 2012 hunger strike, 
remains on hunger strike, demanding his release, alongside fellow 
prisoners Samer al-Barq, Ayman Sharawna and Samer al-Issawi.

Linah Alsaafin interviewed his family for the Electronic Intifada 
<http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/linah-alsaafin/bilal-diab-and-woroud-qasem-released-hunger-strikes-freedom-go>, 
as well as covering the releases of Qasem and Diab.

-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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