Mahmoud Sarsak, 25, is a Palestinian national team player. He has been imprisoned by the Israeli government for three years without any trial. In desparation, and to protest against his condition and lack of civil liberties, Sarsak is on a hunger strike. The 25-year old footballer has not eaten for 85 days and has lost approximately thirty kilos in weight. According to human rights organisation Addameer the situation of Mahmoud is critical.
On 22 July 2009 Sarsak - who lives in Rafah in the Gaza Strip - was arrested at a checkpoint when he was on his way to the West Bank for a match with his national team. He was interrogated for thirty days and then imprisoned without any trial or a precise legal charge. Family and friends are not allowed to visit him. They do not know why he is being detained for already nearly three years - no charge, no trial.
According to the Israeli government he is an illegal combatant and therefore they can imprison him indefinitely. Israeli jails house around 4,000 Palestinian political prisoners, more than 300 of them "administrative detainees" held without charge or trial.In desperation. Sarsak, and all victims of abuse by the Israeli state, need our support.
This urgent campaign to release Mahmoud Sarsak is being supported by:
Eric Cantona
Noam Chomsky, Professor MIT, USA
John Dugard, Former Special Rapporteur of UN on Palestine, South Africa
FIFPro
Trevor Griffiths, Writer, UK
Paul Laverty, Screenwriter, UK
Ken Loach, Filmmaker, UK
Miriam Margolyes OBE, Actor, UK
John Pilger, Journalist, author, film maker, Australia
Show Racism the Red Card
Ahdaf Soueif, Writer, UK
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