Palestinian Ambassador to Cuba Akram Samhan told an event in Havana on April 17 that Israeli jails have locked up more than 760,000 Palestinians since 1967. The event marked the 35th Palestinian Prisoner Day.
The staggering number of Palestinians jailed by Israel is equal to 20% of the population of Gaza, the West Bank and Eastern Jerusalem. Samhan said this demonstrates that the occupying force has been met with Palestinian resistance that will continue until their homeland is free.
Samhan said efforts to free the prisoners are a fundamental part of the Palestinian struggle. He added that there are more than 11,000 in prison today.
The president of the Cuban-Arab Friendship Association, Rodrigo Alvarez Cambra, spoke about the parallels between the dream of an independent homeland that uplifts the Palestinian prisoners and the aspirations of freedom and justice that accompany the five Cubans imprisoned in the Unites States for fighting against terrorism.
Cambra said the terrible conditions of Palestinians in jail — some without being charged or going to court, and in places where torture is still used — is a fact that the US and Europe prefer to ignore.