Johannesburg - The National Freedom Front (NFP) says the death of Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, who passed away after a prolonged hunger strike, is a tragedy that highlights the inhumane conditions that many Palestinians face in Israeli prisons.
According to the party, Adnan’s death is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggles for justice and human rights in Palestine and a call to action for all those who believe in freedom and equality.
NFP leader Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam says his hunger strike was a protest against the injustice of administrative detention, which allows Israeli authorities to detain people without charge or trial indefinitely.
“This practice is a violation of basic human rights and a denial of due process, and it is one that has been used to silence and intimidate Palestinian activists for decades,” said the NFP leader in Parliament, Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam.
The party said the practice was a clear violation of basic human rights, including the right to a fair trial and the right to be free from arbitrary detention.
“We stand with international human rights organisations in denouncing this form of collective punishment that undermines the rule of law and violates international humanitarian law. The case of Khader Adnan’s hunger strike serves as a tragic reminder of the urgent need to end this practice and ensure that all individuals are afforded their basic human rights,” said the party.
Shaik Emam says the situation in Palestine is reminiscent of the apartheid regime in South Africa, where political prisoners like Steve Biko were subjected to inhumane conditions and denied their basic rights.
“Biko’s death in custody in 1977 sparked international outrage and became a rallying cry for the anti-apartheid movement. In the same way, Adnan’s death should serve as a wake-up call for the international community to demand an end to administrative detention and to support the struggle for Palestinian self-determination.”
We must stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and call for an end to the occupation, which has lasted for 75 years and led to countless human rights abuses and acts of violence,“ added Shaik Emam.
The party further noted that on Nakba Day on May 15, a day of commemoration for the displacement of Palestinians during the creation of the State of Israel, we must remember the ongoing struggles of the Palestinian people and the urgent need for justice and peace in the region.
“We must call for an end to the occupation, an end to administrative detention, and the recognition of Palestinian self-determination.
“The NFP calls on the South African government to cut all economic ties with the apartheid State of Israel. Let us honour Khader Adnan’s memory and the memory of all political prisoners by continuing to fight for justice and equality for all,” said the NFP.
The Star