Human Rights Council 23rd Session 27 May ­ 14 June 2013 Agenda item 7, ID with the SR on occupied Palestinian territories International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (EAFORD) Palestinian Detainees in Israeli Prisons Delivered by Mr. Issa Amro Thank you, Mr. President. This is EAFORD's joint statement with Geneva international Center for Justice and Youth against Settlements. We would like to thank Mr. Richard Folk, the Special Reporter on Palestine for his accurate report. Mr. Special Rapporteur, You address the situation of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. I hope my presence will give a face to all of them. My name is Issa Amro and I am UNOHCHR human rights defender of the year 2010 in Palestine. As a human rights defender, I have had the privilege to see Israeli prisons from the inside many times. Alone in 2012 I was detained over 20 times. We were denied any basic rights. Our food was whatever the soldiers left, who were shouting at us all the time. We had to kneel in front of them, we were forced to wear filthy clothes, and remain handcuffed for hours. They did everything to destroy our dignity. After each release, I went sick. I can tell you, the Israeli government is lying about prison conditions and security excuses. Mr Special Rapporteur, several urgent appeals have been issued on my behalf, including to your office. I am strictly committed to non-violent protest. We document human rights violations, we organize demonstrations and sit-ins, demand to end the apartheid and re-open Hebron's Old City for all. But never have we taken any recourse to violence. According to my Israeli lawyer, all my arrests were arbitrary. My case is no individual case. Israeli occupation forces systematically target human rights defenders in Palestine with arbitrary arrest, torture, and death threats. There is the case of Jawwad Siam, there is Basem Tamimi and nowadays Sireen Khdeerat. Her case is still pending. Finally: Mr. Falk, We are human targets, for settlers and occupation forces alike. We support all calls to boycott Israel. This is the only way to stop these crimes. We also demand that all responsible will be taken to the (ICC). Thank you 10 June 2013