Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Libertà per Gilad Shalit

Quoto integralmente. Btw, in questo momento, stante l'intenzione 
(lodevolissima, e che stempera non poco la manovra sulla "restituzione") di 
IL di liberare 250 detenuti, sarebbe un gesto forse di grande rilevanza 
politica.
Namib
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http://www.btselem.org/english/Gaza_Strip/20070625_Gilad_Shalit.asp
25 June 2007: B'Tselem: Hamas must secure Gilad Shalit's release immediately
On 25 June 2006, a band of eight armed Palestinians crossed from the Gaza
Strip into Israeli territory, near Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, and attacked an
army post and tank. During the ensuing battle, two members of the band -
Muhammad Farwaneh and Hamed a-Rantisi - and two Israeli soldiers - Hanan
Barak and Pavel Slutzker - were killed. The soldier Gilad Shalit, who was in
the tank at the time of the attack, was abducted by the band and taken,
apparently wounded, to the Gaza Strip.
The identity of the organization that carried out the attack, or of the
persons who dispatched the band, is not known for certain. According to
media reports, the attack was a joint effort of three organizations: the
Popular Resistance Committees, the 'Iz a-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and the
Islamic Army. A few days after the attack, the media reported that Shalit's
abductors demanded, in exchange for Shalit, the release of one thousand
Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons. The abductors' demand
contained an implied threat (and in some of the reports the threat was
explicit) to execute Shalit if their demand was not met. Subsequently,
extensive negotiations, mediated by Egypt , began between the Hamas
leadership, which represented the abductors, and Israel on the details of
the exchange. The negotiations continued on and off for many months, but the
sides did not reach an agreement.
The location where Shalit is being held is unknown. According to various
Hamas spokesmen, Shalit is being held in proper conditions. However, these
claims have never been verified, given that the abductors have not allowed
representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross, or from
any other international organization, to visit Shalit.
International humanitarian law recognizes, subject to certain conditions,
the right of parties taking part in hostilities to capture combatants of the
opposing side and hold them until the hostilities end, but only with the
objective of removing them from combat. States may also arrest combatants
belonging to the other side, and under certain conditions civilians as well,
who are suspected of having committed criminal offenses, for the purpose of
prosecuting them.
Contrarily, seizing a person (civilian or combatant) and holding him
forcibly with the objective of pressuring the other side to meet certain
demands is absolutely prohibited, and is considered hostage taking. This act
is much more grievous when it is accompanied by a threat to kill or injure
the hostage if the hostage-takers' demands are not met. Furthermore, breach
of the prohibition is deemed a war crime, for which everyone involved in the
act bears criminal responsibility. The circumstances in which Shalit was
abducted and has been held clearly indicate that he was taken hostage.
Regardless of the question of the legality of the seizure or status of the
person who is seized, international humanitarian law states that every
person is entitled to be treated humanely and in a dignified manner by the
opposing side, whatever the circumstances. Prisoners of war are entitled to
a variety of other rights, among them to right to receive visits by the
ICRC. Given that Shalit is entitled to the status of POW, denial of his
right to these visits also constitutes a flagrant breach of international
law. Moreover, the refusal to allow visits and cutting Shalit off totally
from the outside world raise the grave suspicion that he is being treated
improperly, in particular regarding the medical treatment he has, or has
not, received for his injury.
For these reasons, the Hamas leadership, as the persons holding actual
control of the security apparatuses in the Gaza Strip, has the duty to act
order to bring about Shalit's unconditional release immediately. Until his
release, the persons holding him must treat him humanely and enable
representatives of the ICRC to visit him.

 politica.
Peccato che shalit ce l'abbiano quelli di hamas...
Tb
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E la vecchia sign non c'è più