Palestinians protest for prisoner on hunger strike

(19 Dec 2019) LEAD IN: Palestinians hold a protest in the West Bank city of Beitunia to show solidarity with a Palestinian prisoner who has been on partial hunger strike for months. Family members of the prisoner join the protesters, holding up signs calling for his freedom. STORY-LINE: Dozens of Palestinians are protesting in solidarity with prisoner Ahmad Zahran in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. Protesters and family members of Zahran are calling for the release of the prisoner. Zahran, who is 42 year-old, has been on a partial hunger strike for nearly three months. Since he was arrested in February, Zahran is being held without charges in what is known as administrative detention. He is a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a leftist group that Israel blames for a bombing in a settlement in August. The bombing, Israel says, has killed a 17-year-old Israeli girl and wounded her brother and father. Members of Zahran's family and protesters are carrying pictures of Zahran and signs calling for his release. "The message we want to deliver here is that Ahmad Zahran is not alone in this hunger strike and that all of us are supporting him," his nephew Ahmed says. According to his family, Zahran is taken to a clinic and given nutritional supplements when he faints. He has been arrested several times and previously spent 15 years in Israeli prison. His family says he went on hunger strike to protest administrative detention, under which Israeli authorities can hold detainees for months or years without charge or trial. Rights groups have criticised the practice, which Israel says is necessary to prevent attacks and to protect classified information. Zahran's wife says more Palestinians should be involved in the "issue of the prisoners". "They should participate because this does not only concern the prisoners and could happen to every Palestinian home," she adds. Nearly 5,000 Palestinians are serving time in Israeli prisons, including those convicted by military courts of taking part in deadly attacks against Israelis. An estimated 450 are being held in administrative detention. Israeli troops dispersed Thursday's protest with sound grenades and tear gas. There were no reports of any injuries. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...