London Gathering Demands Prisoner Release
On Saturday, a group assembled in central London to advocate for the liberation of Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli facilities. The event brought attention to individuals held under administrative detention, a system allowing indefinite confinement without formal charges or proven offenses, based on potential future lawbreaking.
Participants wore red ribbons to signify danger and urgency, aiming to spotlight the prisoners' difficult circumstances. Organizers described the vigil as the launch of an international initiative.
Focus on Dr. Hussam Abu Safia
The gathering particularly emphasized Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, former head of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, who was taken by Israeli forces from the medical center in December 2024. According to his legal representative and relatives, he has faced beatings, torture, and cruel treatment while detained, including extended solitary confinement.
"We are clear about this vocabulary – they are hostages, not like any prisoners, and our symbol today is Dr Hussam Abu Safia," stated Adnan Hmidan, chair of the Palestinian Forum in the UK and event coordinator.
"They collected him from the hospital while he was wearing his white coat and took him in the tank, in front of everyone in that hospital," Hmidan added, noting that some detainees lack access to lawyers and have no scheduled court appearances.
Prisoner Statistics
Addameer, a Palestinian rights group monitoring political prisoners, reported 9,300 Palestinian political prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons, most held without trial or charge. This count excludes those in military camps, with at least 3,350 from the occupied West Bank classified as administrative detainees.
B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, cited official Israel Prison Service data indicating approximately 10,900 Palestinians were held on security grounds by late 2025, including 2,931 from Gaza.
Activists' Perspectives
Attendees at the London vigil expressed hope their efforts would yield concrete results. "It’s also to remind people what’s going on, and that we haven’t forgotten them, and I know from other sources that people in Gaza, in Palestine, appreciate that we here are doing all that we can," Eva Nazem told Al Jazeera.
"People who could do something are staying quiet, not doing enough, the government, and we just need to keep putting the pressure on," Nazem said.
"Our presence here is twofold. It’s to remind people that it isn’t over, the ceasefire is in name only. It’s not effective. People like Dr Safia, who have been absolute heroes, are imprisoned and tortured, and it’s not acceptable," she added.
A Peaceful Act of Solidarity
As attendees stood quietly with signs, Hmidan emphasized the event was not a protest march but "a silent, peaceful act of solidarity."
"There are many ways of lobbying and campaigning. We respect different kinds of protest, but here we have something about humanitarian issues," he said.
"They [Palestinian prisoners] are human, they have their own stories, they have their own families," Hmidan concluded.
