Contents

1. Action Required
2. Summary
3. Background
4. Sample Letters

1. Action Required

a) Attend the vigil:

Date: Monday 18 February 2013
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Venue: BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, W1A 1AA
Nearest Train/ Tube: Oxford Circus Tube Station

Organised by: IHRC and Inminds

b) Write letters and emails to the Foreign Minister of your country and the BBC urging them to do whatever they can to persuade the BBC to cover the plight of Palestinian hunger strikers.

2. Summary

IHRC are urging campaigners and activists to demand the BBC follow its remit to “inform”, “educate” and provide “trusted World and UK news…” by covering the plight of Palestinian hunger strikers such as Samer Al-Issawi.

3. Background

Samer Al-Issawi has spent more than 10 years in Israeli Prisons.  After his brief release in October 2011, as part of the exchange for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Issawi was rearrested for visiting the West Bank. He has been on hunger strike now for 198 days.

Samer Al-Issawi along with others are on hunger strike as part of a united effort to bring to international attention the Israeli Prison Systems in which torture, administrative detention and rape are commonplace; in clear violation of international human rights law.

On Monday 04 February 2013, approximately 100 people gathered outside the Ayalon prison in Ramla to protest the continued detainment of Issawi. In spite of the increasing international awareness and campaigns on the issue of the Palestinian Hunger strikers, there is an evident reporting bias from the BBC in that Palestinian hunger strikers such as Samer Al-Issawi are not mentioned in a single news article whereas the Gilad Shalit story receives widespread coverage.

4. Sample Letters

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Sample letters are given below for your convenience. Please note that model letters can be sent directly or adjusted as necessary to include further details. If you receive a reply to the letter you send, we request you to send a copy of the letter you send and the reply you received, to IHRC. This is very important as it helps IHRC to monitor the situation with regards to our campaigns and to improve upon the current model letters.
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a)    Lord Patten of Barnes, Chairman of the BBC Trust (Use the address below or email pattenc@parliament.uk)

[Your name]
[Your address]
Lord Patten of Barnes,
House of Commons,
London,
SW1A 0PW
United Kingdom.
 [Date]

Dear Lord Patten,

Re: BBC blackout on reporting plight of Palestinian hunger strikers

I am deeply concerned over the BBC’s complete reporting dismissal of the plight of Palestinian hunger strikers such as Samer Al-Issawi, who has been on hunger strike now for 200 days.

Samer Al-Issawi along with others human rights advocates are on hunger strike as part of a united effort to bring to international attention the Israeli Prison Systems in which torture, administrative detention and rape are commonplace.

This ongoing oppression of individuals which is a clear violation of human rights law must be given its due media attention by the British media which claims to provide “trusted World and UK news…”

As the Chairman of the BBC Trust, I urge you to act in the best interest of all license fee payers in encouraging the BBC to report on the plight of the Palestinian hunger strikers which I believe to be an issue needy of immediate attention.

I look forward to hearing back from you regarding this urgent matter.

Yours sincerely,

[Your signature]

[Your name]
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b)  Baron Hall of Birkenhead and Director-General of the BBC from 02 April 2013, Anthony Hall (Use the address below or email halla@parliament.uk)
[Your name]
[Your address]
Anthony William Hall
House of Lords, London,
SW1A 0PW

Dear Baron Hall,

Re: BBC blackout on reporting plight of Palestinian hunger strikers

I am deeply concerned over the BBC’s complete dismissal of the plight of Palestinian hunger strikers such as Samer Al-Issawi, who has been on hunger strike now for 200 days.

Samer Al-Issawi along with human rights advocates are on hunger strike as part of a united effort to bring to international attention the Israeli Prison Systems in which torture, administrative detention and rape are commonplace.

This ongoing oppression of individuals which is a clear violation of human rights law must be given its due media attention by the BBC which claims to provide “trusted World and UK news…”

I urge you to initiate efforts to restore fairness and equality in the BBC’s reporting of local and international news when you take on the position of Director-General of the BBC on 02 April 2013.

I look forward to hearing back from you regarding this urgent matter.

Yours sincerely,

[Your signature]
[Your name]

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“And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper.”

Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75

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