Important Meeting to Mark Palestinian Prisoners' Day in Montreal and Toronto
A meeting was organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement on April 19, held
simultaneously in Montreal and Toronto in-person and virtually, with hundreds of
people gathered in both cities able to watch, listen and exchange with two former Palestinian
prisoners. The event was to mark Palestinian Prisoners' Day, observed annually on April 17.
It focused on the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention facilities. The event
included testimonies from released prisoners as well as a defence of prisoners' rights, in what
speakers described as an ongoing genocide.
The keynote speaker outlined the context of the current situation, noting that more than 9,300 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli prisons and detention centres, including around 350 children and 86 women. He emphasized that these figures are estimates, as many Palestinians are held in Israeli military bases without charge or trial, under administrative detention. The speaker also highlighted that on March 30, the Knesset approved automatic sentences of death by hanging for Palestinian prisoners convicted by Israeli courts, which have a 99 per cent conviction rate, a measure that could affect more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The first speaker, a Palestinian prisoner released in a prisoner exchange and forcibly exiled to Egypt in October 2025, participated via video call from Cairo. He described the dramatic deterioration in conditions for Palestinian prisoners since October 7, 2023. He explained that the history of the Palestinian prisoners' movement can be divided into two periods: before and after October 7. Prior to that date, the movement had secured significant rights and a degree of strength within the prisons since 1967, but after October 7, the Israeli prison authorities lifted all previous restrictions regarding the treatment of Palestinian prisoners.
He described in detail the systematic torture, beatings, sexual abuse and killings taking place behind prison walls. He explained that prisoners are subjected to daily raids by guards, are forced to walk with their hands and legs bound like animals, and are subjected to sexual harassment during searches. He emphasized that these practices go beyond anything observed in historical concentration camps or apartheid regimes, with Israeli officials such as Ben Gvir openly boasting about torture and filming prisoners lying face down.
Regarding nutrition, he explained that prisoners are subjected to systematic malnutrition intended to weaken their bodies and reduce their immunity, leading to outbreaks of disease. The food provided is of poor quality and insufficient, to the extent that prisoners appear unrecognizable upon their release. He cited the example of the martyr Riyal Al-Amour, who died as a result of medical negligence, to illustrate how diseases are allowed to spread due to a lack of adequate medical care.
He raised the issue of pay cuts for released prisoners, explaining that the Palestinian Authority had reduced payments to prisoners and their families under pressure from Israel and the United States. He described living conditions in Egypt as generally safe, but emphasized that all exiled prisoners reject the concept of exile, viewing it as ethnic cleansing and an attempt to neutralize the Palestinian cause.
In discussing methods of resistance, he traced the history of the prisoners' movement back to the British Mandate period, explaining its evolution through several phases. He described hunger strikes as the "battle of empty stomachs" the most powerful method used by prisoners to secure rights, particularly access to education. In the 1970s and 1980s, prisoners achieved significant victories, succeeding in bringing radios, televisions and university education into prisons as early as 1992.
He shared his personal experience of the famous escape from Gilboa Prison, explaining that he had been planning escape attempts for 32 years, since his imprisonment at the age of 16 or 17. The successful escape in September 2021 required nine months of tunnel digging and involved overcoming numerous security measures. He wrote a novel about this escape but has delayed its publication to focus on current events in Gaza. The escaped prisoners were free for five days and their escape sent a message to the whole world about the ongoing Palestinian resistance.
A Franco-Palestinian lawyer who was forcibly deported to France in 2022 following several periods of administrative detention, then discussed the wider implications of prisoners' exile and diaspora activism. He emphasized that the tactics of the Israeli occupation involve monitoring and oppressing prisoners even after their release and exile to various countries, including Egypt, Türkiye, France and Spain.
He highlighted the vital role of the Palestinian diaspora in the struggle against genocide and in the revival of the global struggle for Palestine. He recalled that following the Oslo Accords, attempts were made to eliminate the political role of Palestinians and Palestinian refugees, but that the diaspora has always been the voice of Palestinian Resistance. He emphasized that the new generation of Palestinians in Europe, the United States, Australia and Latin America is continuing this tradition of resistance and international solidarity.
He explained that the prisoners' movement constitutes a central pillar of the national struggle for liberation, as prisoners were among the first targets following October 7. He emphasized that the issue of prisoners will remain for Palestinian society and the entire region until the end of the occupation, making it a responsibility that extends beyond Palestine to the international community.
During the question-and-answer session, one of the two former Palestinian prisoners addressed issues relating to support for the 400 Palestinian prisoners forcibly exiled to Egypt, emphasizing the political responsibility of all parties concerned. He spoke of the relationship between the occupier and the occupied, asserting that no normal relationship is possible under occupation, while acknowledging that people participate in the resistance in various ways: some through armed struggle, others through humanitarian work, cultural activities or economic efforts.
The event concluded with calls to continue the mobilization, notably by following campaigns on social media, distributing information leaflets and signing petitions demanding action against what the speakers described as "genocide behind bars". The organizers emphasized the importance of making this issue a central focus of public debate and holding complicit actors to account until all Palestinian prisoners are released.
This article was published in
Volume 56 Number 29 - May 4, 2026
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/TML2026/Articles/T560295.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca