Demonstrations Across Morocco Highlight Palestinian Prisoner Day
On Friday, April 17, 2026, hundreds of Moroccans took to the streets in various cities including Rabat, Tangier, Ksar al-Kabir, Fes, Marrakech, Casablanca, and Oujda to commemorate Palestinian Prisoner Day. This significant date, observed annually on April 17, was established by the Palestinian National Council in 1974 to honor the struggle of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The protests were organized by several groups including the National Work Group for Palestine, the Moroccan Authority for the Support of National Issues, and the Moroccan Front for Supporting Palestine and Opposing Normalization, all of which are non-governmental entities. Demonstrators voiced their opposition to the recent Israeli legislation allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners, chanting slogans such as "Coward Zionist, the prisoner must not be humiliated" and "The people want to liberate the prisoner!" They also held placards demanding the defense of Palestinian prisoners, with messages like "No to the execution of Palestinian prisoners!".
During the rally in Rabat, Aziz Hanawi, a member of the National Work Group for Palestine, emphasized the importance of remembering Palestinian prisoners, stating, "We commemorate this day in loyalty to the Palestinian prisoner." He condemned the execution of prisoners as an unprecedented crime in human history and called for urgent action to support Palestinian prisoners while exerting pressure on the Israeli occupation to revoke the controversial law.
The Israeli Knesset recently passed legislation permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners accused of deliberately killing Israelis, a move supported by right-wing parties. Currently, there are over 9,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including children and women, many of whom reportedly suffer from torture, malnutrition, and lack of medical care, leading to the deaths of dozens.
As reported by aa.com.tr.
