"Arrested and administratively detained twelve times over two decades, Adnan became a prisoner leader when he began to use hunger strikes as a non-violent tactic to protest Israel’s administrative detention. By omitting the fact that Adnan was under administrative detention, you prevent the listener from understanding why Adnan had become such an inspiration to Palestinians, and why rocket attacks were launched against Israel in support of Adnan."
May 3, 2023
To:
Greg O’Brien, News Director, CHCH TV
Dear Mr. O’Brien,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to request an on-air clarification regarding your news segment on the air strikes between Israel and Gaza following the death of Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan aired by CHCH Morning Live on May 3, 2023.
While your news segment mentions that Khader Adnan died after an 87-day hunger strike, it fails to specify that he was being held indefinitely under Israeli administrative detention.
Administrative detention is a process used by the Israeli military to imprison prisoners indefinitely without charge, or trial. According to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, Israel has used administrative detention to imprison thousands of Palestinians behind bars “for periods ranging from several months to several years, without charging them, without telling them what they are accused of, and without disclosing the alleged evidence to them or to their lawyers.”
Arrested and administratively detained twelve times over two decades, Adnan became a prisoner leader when he began to use hunger strikes as a non-violent tactic to protest Israel’s administrative detention. By omitting the fact that Adnan was under administrative detention, you prevent the listener from understanding why Adnan had become such an inspiration to Palestinians, and why rocket attacks were launched against Israel in support of Adnan.
As such, I insist that you issue an on-air clarification stating, “Khader Adnan died from an 87-day hunger strike in protest of Israel’s administrative detention and in support of Palestinian political prisoners.”
Thank you in advance for making this change.
Should you wish, you can contact me at 438-380-5410 for more information.
Sincerely,
Tayla Shair
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East