Francis Hughes (Irish: Proinsias Ó hAodha;^[1] 28 February 1956 – 12 May 1981) was an Irish volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Hughes was the most wanted man in Northern Ireland until his arrest following a shoot-out with the Special Air Service (SAS) in which an SAS soldier was killed.^[2] At his trial he was sentenced to a total of 83 years' imprisonment, and he died during the 1981 Irish hunger strike in HM Prison Maze.

Background[link]

Hughes was born in Bellaghy, County Londonderry on 28 February 1956 into a republican family: the youngest of four brothers in a family of ten siblings.^[3][4] Hughes' father Joseph had been a member of the Irish Republican Army in the 1920s and one of his uncles had smuggled arms for the republican movement.^[4] This resulted in the Hughes family being targeted when internment was introduced in 1971, and Hughes' brother Oliver was interned for eight months without trial.^[4] Hughes left school aged 16 and started work as an apprentice painter and decorator.^[5] Hughes was returning from an evening out in Ardboe, County Tyrone when he was stopped at an Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) checkpoint.^[4] When the soldiers realised he came from a republican family, he was badly beaten.^[4][5] Hughes' father encouraged him to see a doctor and report the incident to the police but Hughes refused, saying he "would get his own back on the people who did it, and their friends".^[4][6]

Paramilitary activity[link]

Hughes initially joined the Official Irish Republican Army, but left after the organisation declared a ceasefire in May 1972.^[7][8] Hughes then joined an Independent Republican Unit along with Dominic McGlinchey and Ian Milne, before the three decided to join the Provisional IRA in 1973.^[5][7] Hughes, Milne and McGlinchey took part in scores of IRA operations, including daylight attacks on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) stations, bombings, and attacks on off-duty members of the RUC and UDR.^[9] Another IRA member described the activities of Hughes:

On 18 April 1977 Hughes, McGlinchey and Milne were travelling in a car near the town of Moneymore when an RUC patrol car carrying four officers signalled them to stop.^[9][11] The IRA members attempted to escape by performing a u-turn, but lost control of the car which ended up in a ditch.^[9] They abandoned the car and opened fire on the RUC patrol car killing two officers and wounding another, before running off through fields.^[9][11] A second RUC patrol came under fire while attempting to prevent the men fleeing, and despite a search operation by the RUC and British Army the IRA members escaped.^[11] Following the Moneymore shootings the RUC named Hughes as the most wanted man in Northern Ireland, and issued wanted posters with pictures of Hughes, Milne and McGlinchey.^[11] Milne was arrested in Lurgan in August 1977, and McGlinchey later in the year in the Republic of Ireland.^[11]

Arrest and imprisonment[link]

Hughes was eventually captured on 17 March 1978 near Maghera in County Londonderry after an exchange of gunfire with the British Army.^[12] A member of the Parachute Regiment, L/CPL David Jones,^[13] was killed in the gun battle, and another para seriously wounded. Hughes was wounded in the leg. He managed to limp away but was discovered the next morning in a search and surrendered to British troops.

In February 1980 he was sentenced to a total of 83 years in prison. Hughes was tried for, and found guilty of, the murder of one British Army soldier (for which he received a life sentence) and wounding of another (for which he received 14 years) in the incident which led to his capture, as well as a series of gun and bomb attacks over a six-year period. Security sources described him as "an absolute fanatic" and "a ruthless killer". Fellow republicans described him as "fearless and active".

1981 hunger strike[link]

Hughes was involved in the mass hunger strike in 1980, and was the second prisoner to join the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike in the H-Blocks at HM Prison Maze. His hunger strike started on 15 March 1981,^[14] two weeks after Bobby Sands became the first hunger striker. He was the second striker to die, at 5:43pm BST on 12 May, after 59 days without food.^[15] His death led to an upsurge in rioting in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland.

His cousin, Thomas McElwee, was the ninth hunger striker to die. One of his brothers, Oliver Hughes now sits on Magherafelt Council.

He is commemorated on the Irish Martyrs Memorial at Waverley Cemetery in Sydney, Australia.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Hunger strike poster of Francis Hughes
• Video from the funeral of Francis Hughes
• Irish Hungerstrike Memorial Site

David Rovics
David Rovics sings at the A16 rally in Washington DC in spring of 2005.
Background information
Origin	New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Folk
Years active	1992–present
Associated acts	Attila the Stockbroker Jim Page Robb Johnson
Website	http://www.davidrovics.com

David Rovics (born April 10, 1967) is an American indie singer/songwriter. His music concerns topical subjects such as the 2003 Iraq war, anti-globalization and social justice issues. Rovics has been an outspoken critic of former President George W. Bush, the Republican Party, John Kerry, and the Democratic Party.

Rovics is critical of the United States government's policies and claims that the "U.S. government's foreign policy represents U.S. corporate interests"^{[1][dead link]} and that "the U.S. government does not like democracy either at home or abroad."^{[1][dead link]}

Although most of Rovics' work is commercially distributed, Rovics has made all of his recorded music freely available as downloadable mp3 files. He encourages the free distribution of his work by all non-profit means to promote his work and spread political messages, and speaks out against websites or programs like iTunes that charge money for downloading his songs. Rovics has also advocated the performing of his songs at protests and demonstrations and has made his sheet music and lyrics available for download.^[2]

Biography[link]

David Rovics was born in New York City. His family moved to Wilton, Connecticut when he was young. Rovics was politically inspired during his adolescence by his experiences with the conservative-oriented, Christian milieu of his home town. His parents, both classical musicians^[3] and educators, were liberal in their outlook. Perhaps for this reason, While in his teens Rovics acquired interests in nuclear disarmament, vegetarianism and other counterculture issues. Rovics is ethnically Jewish and an atheist.

In 1985, Rovics enrolled at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana but dropped out and moved to Berkeley, California. He worked in varied occupations, including as a cook, barista, secretary and typist, while pursuing his musical interests as a street and subway performer and in small clubs and bars. He immersed himself in leftist counterculture and made contact with other songwriters and performers on the underground circuit.

By the early 1990s he was a full-time busker in the Boston subways.^[3]

On May 1, 1993, Rovics was involved in a traumatic incident in which a close friend was shot dead after intervening in a gang shoot-out. This was a turning point in his life, forcing him to concentrate on his songwriting career, initially as a means of dealing with the grief over his friend's death. He had already amassed a fair collection of lyrics and songs by that time, but his own admission, his compositions prior to this time were inferior and "preachy," and none were used in his later albums.^{[citation needed]}

From around the mid 1990s, Rovics has spent most of his time on concert tours around the world.^[3] In 1996 he self-released his first album, Make It So, which consisted mostly of covers of other artists’ songs. He released his second cover album in 1998. He produced a series of five original song albums between 1998 and 2003 as self-released titles. The album Who Would Jesus Bomb? was entirely distributed in mp3 format over the Internet and had no commercial release, although it was included in a later "best of" album.

Rovics is a Wobbly- a member of the Industrial Workers of the World. “In that Wobbly tradition of sharp social commentary, David is a master.” — The Industrial Worker.

In 2003 Rovics signed up to Ever Reviled Records and produced a studio album, Return. Later that year, he released Behind The Barricades: The Best Of David Rovics in association with AK Press, including titles from his earlier self-releases which met with minimal commercial success. He has since released the Songs for Mahmud album as a self-release in association with Ever Reviled Records. Despite being the sole performer in most of his work, he usually describes himself only as a songwriter.^{[citation needed]}

Although Rovics' work has never met with great commercial success, it has been acclaimed in sections of the press^[4][5][6][7] and continues to be popular with a small yet widespread base of fans with similar political interests, as well as supporters of internet file sharing.^{[citation needed]}

Rovics tours regularly on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazzeera, Acik Radyo and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch and Truthout and the 200+ songs he makes available on the web have been downloaded more than a million times.^[3]

He currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his family^[3] and has a daughter, Leila, who was born in 2006.^[8]

Political activism[link]

Interview with David Rovics on Talk Nation Radio dealing with the politics of music.

In an interview article with the Baltimore Independent Media Center entitled “Inspiring the Troops” Through Music,^[9] Rovics said:

"...when I first started writing any songs that were any good I had already become very much involved with activism and wanting to talk about what was happening in the world. But when I first started writing songs, I wasn’t writing political songs..."^[9]

"I say, that I’m not really hardly at all involved with the folk music scene and I don’t play for the folk music audiences so much and shows don’t get booked by the folk music presenters. Everything I’m doing pretty much in the activist scene. I find that when folk music aficionados come to my shows that they usually like it. I think I could be doing fine in the folk scene if there was enough interest there for more people to be booking shows. The interest in the kind of music I’m doing is almost entirely in the activist scene, which is fine..."^[9]

"If you look at it – take a real cursory glance of the world around you we see that pretty much every institution out there uses music in one way or another. Every corporation uses music to sell their products. The military uses music to inspire their troops. I use music for my troops. It’s the same basic function that music is playing. You know, even from a capitalist perspective you could say it’s used to sell products and to foster – in the military for example, that people are working together – that they’re part of the same thing, that they’re sticking up for each other. That’s what we’re using music at marches and rallies. It’s to inspire the troops. And in other settings it’s to educate people about things that are happening and to talk about it in a way that hopefully might be more memorable than a speech..."^[9]

"Yes, to communicate to people on an emotional level. And perhaps even a spiritual level and reach them in a way that people don’t often get reached by other means. And it’s just one of many means of communication, but I think it’s a [sic] an important one and when we have events, whether they’re protests or educational events or whatever, the events that have music and food at them are so much different from the ones that don’t. Everyone, whether or not they’re conscious of why they come out of those events inspired and feeling like they’ve learned something and they’re going to do something with that knowledge – that’s the difference between even a really good speaker, they’re still – are not really pessimistic but good educational optimistic speaker – there’s still something missing compared to when you hear that speaker and you sing a few songs before or after – preferably after I think because then you leave on a feeling on more togetherness and optimism even when the songs are not particularly optimistic. There’s something about music that makes people feel optimistic..."^[9]

Opinions on file sharing[link]

David Rovics supports file sharing of his own work. "Feel free to download these songs. Use them for whatever purpose. Send them to friends, burn them, copy them, play them on the radio, on the internet, wherever. Music is the Commons. Ignore the corporate music industry shills who tell you otherwise. Downloading music is not theft, you're not hurting anyone, I promise. (And in any case, yes, this is legal, and I'm making all of these songs available myself.)"^[10]

Discography[link]

• Make It So (Self-release, 1996)
• Pay Day at Coal Creek (Self-release, 1998)
• We Just Want the World (Self-release, 1998)
• Live At Club Passim (Self-release, 2000)
• Living In These Times (Self-release, 2001)
• Hang A Flag In The Window (Self-release, 2002)
• Who Would Jesus Bomb? (Self-release, 2003)
• Return (Ever Reviled Records, 2003)
• Behind the Barricades, the Best of David Rovics (AK Press/Daemon Records 2003)
• Songs for Mahmud (Ever Reviled Records, 2004)
• Beyond The Mall (Self-release, 2004)
• For the Moment (Yoyo Records, 2005)
• Waiting For The Fall (Self-release, 2005)
• Halliburton Boardroom Massacre (MI5 Records/Caroline Distribution, 2006)
• The Commons (Irregular Records, 2007) Recorded live at Club Passim
• Ten Thousand Miles Away (Self-release, 2009)
• Waiting for the Fall - A Retrospective (Self-release, 2009)
• Troubador: People's History in Song (self-release, 2010)
• Ten New Songs (self-release, 2010)
• Big Red Sessions (Liberation Records, 2011)
• Ten New Songs (Liberation Records, 2011)

Children's Albums[link]

• Har Har Har! Pirate Songs for Kids (CD Baby.Com/Indys, 2008)
• Ballad of a Dung Beetle (2011)

Interviews[link]

• The Progressive - Interview with Matthew Rothschild, editor of Progressive Magazine and host of Progressive Radio, October 2006
• The Jason Crane Show (mp3 file) - September 2006
• ZNet - The Soundtrack to Protest: An interview with David Rovics by Matt Dineen, September 2006
• Alternate Music Press - June, 2006
• Port Townsend, Washington - Me and Attila the Stockbroker from early March, 2006
• Climate Change Rally in London, England - December 2005
• Toward Freedom - Radical Folk Music: An Interview with David Rovics by Matt Dineen, August 2005
• Infoshop News - April 2005
• Lone Star Iconoclast - Beyond the Mall, March 2005
• Free Speech Radio News - by Stefan Christoff that was broadcast on CKUT in Montreal, September 2003
• CHRY Toronto - by Tom, September 2003
• Baltimore IMC - "Inspiring the Troops" Through Music, November 2002
• Boston Indymedia - Willimantic, Connecticut, August 2002
• KUNM - New Mexico public radio, very well done, January 2002
• Free Radio Burlington - Me and Jim Page, December 2001
• DC Indymedia - During the IMF/anti-war protests at that time (unedited, sound quality varies), September 2001
• Robots and Electronic Brains - March 1999

See also[link]

• Boxcar Betty
• Industrial Workers of the World

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• The Spectator: Musician David Rovics uses music as a way of protesting social problems
• Democracy Now: David Rovics Pays Tribute to Fellow Musician and Friend Brad Will
• Vive le Canada: Political folk musician David Rovics brings “songs of social significance” to Halifax

External links[link]

• Official website. Additional information, huge collection of free mp3s, sheet music and links.
• Official Youtube Page
• David Rovics' Pirate Song Chest for Kids
• Ever Reviled Records: David Rovics. Label news & tour dates.
• David Rovics collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
• David Rovics' Blog
• Internet Radio Interview with David Rovics
• David Rovics SoundClick Page

Christy Moore
Christy Moore in Liverpool Philharmonic , October 2008.
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Andrew Moore
Born	(1945-05-07) 7 May 1945 (age 67)
Origin	Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland
Genres	Folk, traditional Irish, Pop
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, Bodhrán
Years active	1969–present
Associated acts	Planxty, Moving Hearts
Website	http://www.christymoore.com/

Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, Paddy on the Road (a minor release of 500, although made available again on CD through his website and at gigs in 2010) was recorded with Dominic Behan (brother of Brendan) in 1969. In 2007, he was named as Ireland's greatest living musician in RTÉ's People of the Year Awards.^[1]

Early life[link]

Moore was born in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. He was originally a bank employee who wanted to express himself using traditional music. A bank strike in 1966, which lasted six months (and effectively paralysed Irish commercial life for the duration), resulted in Moore spending considerable time practising music. When the strike ended, Moore had already decided where his passion in life arose, and left the bank for good.^[2]

Musical career[link]

1972 brought his first major release, Prosperous (named after the village of Prosperous, County Kildare, where the album was recorded), which brought together the four musicians who shortly thereafter formed Planxty: Liam O'Flynn, Andy Irvine, and Dónal Lunny. For a time they called themselves "CLAD", an acronym of their names, but soon decided on Planxty.^[2]

After leaving Planxty in 1975, Moore continued on his solo career, reforming his old band on occasion (which he has been doing ever since). He also formed the band Moving Hearts with Lunny and five other musicians in 1980. In 2000 he published his autobiography, One Voice.^[2]

Moore's earlier years of heavy drinking, sleeping dysfunctional hours, continual travelling, and often eating takeaway foods resulted in a decline in health, and several operations. Moore's battle with alcohol, and subsequent heart operations have taken their toll. At the end of the 1990s, Moore was requested to reduce his workload for medical reasons.^[2]

Some of Moore's songs are heavily influenced by drink and the effects of drink. His song "Delirium Tremens" being a good example. Listening to Johnny Mulhern's song "Hard Cases" causes Moore, in his website chat, to recall the Galway drinking scene with local musicians  Mickey Finn, Pete Galligan, Corky and Terry Smith.

On 17 April 2009, Moore released his first new studio album in four years, titled 'Listen' and it was promoted through a series of live gigs.^[3]

In December 2011, Moore released his latest album Folk Tale and made it available on Irish music website IrishCountry.ie

Political and social commentary[link]

Moore is best known for his political and social commentary, which reflects a leftwing Irish Republican perspective, this despite the fact that his mother was a Fine Gael county councillor and parliamentary candidate in Kildare.^[4] He supported the republican H-Block protestors in the 1970s and 1980s with the album H-Block in 1978, the launch of which was raided by the police, and The Spirit of Freedom.^[5] He has also recorded songs by the hunger striker Bobby Sands. However, in 1987 he ceased supporting the military activities of the IRA as a result of the Enniskillen bombing.^[6]

Individual political songs he has performed throughout his career include Mick Hanly's 'On the Blanket' about the protests of republican prisoners, his own 'Viva la Quinta Brigada' about Irish volunteers in the Spanish Civil War and his own 'Minds Locked Shut' about Bloody Sunday in Derry.

Moore has endorsed a long list of left wing support causes, ranging from El Salvador to Mary Robinson in the 1990 Presidential Election.^[2] At Glastonbury Festival in 2005 he sang about the Palestinian solidarity activist Rachel Corrie.

With typical Moore social consciousness, he opened the festival marking Ballymun's inception as Dublin's first Fairtrade Town on 23 November 2006. Ballymun, once synonymous with social deprivation and drug problems, is currently the largest urban regeneration project in northern Europe.

Allusions in his songs[link]

• The former Bishop of Galway, Eamon Casey, is the subject of Martin Egan's song 'Casey' often performed by Moore.
• In 2005, his popular release "Don't Forget Your Shovel" (written by Christie Hennessey) was referenced in a number 1 UK single "The JCB Song" by Nizlopi: "And the engine rattles my bum like berserk. While we're singin, 'Don't forget your shovel if you want to go to work!'" It was further referenced in the video for the same song; as the line is sung, the characters in the JCB pass a shop called "Christie's Shovels".
• In his song "If I Get an Encore" he compares Tulsk to hell,"Mountbellew was like purgatory but Tulsk was just like being in hell". Its a reference to a row that broke during one of his gigs in a Tulsk venue.

Musical style[link]

His solo style includes driving rhythms on guitar and bodhrán as well as slower ballads.

Family[link]

Moore's brother Barry, whose stage name is Luka Bloom, is also a successful singer-songwriter.^[7] His nephew, Conor Byrne, is also an accomplished traditional flautist and tin whistle player, with Christy appearing on his Wind Dancer album.^[8]

Memorable events[link]

An Góilín Surprise[link]

On 6 October 2006 Moore paid a surprise visit to the An Góilín traditional singers' club in Dublin. There, before fifty or so people, Moore took out his guitar (instruments are rarely used in An Góilín, it being a singers' refuge) and sang songs reflective of the Irish language and socially radical culture of the club such as Na Conghailigh, about the deaths of Tomás and Seán Ó Conghaile off Conamara, and Viva la Quinta Brigada, about the role of the Irish fighting with the socialists in the Spanish Civil War.

[edit] Desert Island Discs

In June 2007, Moore was guest on Desert Island Discs, a BBC programme that is often considered an accolade. He selected mainly Irish folk music that had inspired him and spoke of personal and political issues that had shaped his life.

Detention incident, 2004[link]

In October 2004, a story in several news agencies revealed how Moore had been stopped and detained by customs officers at the Welsh port of Holyhead.^[9][10] The article claimed the singer was stopped in his van with his driver, taken into an office and questioned over the lyrics of his songs. The following day in response to The Irish Times article, Moore released a statement saying: "My driver and I were stopped and held for two hours at Holyhead last Monday, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002. My driver and I were held separately in two interrogation rooms. I found the whole experience threatening. I was questioned about the contents of my briefcase." Despite initial reports to the contrary, the singer's van, which was full of musical equipment, was not searched. "I was questioned about lyrics of songs and I was asked a lot of personal questions about members of my family and my children and about my home. At no time was I given any explanation as to why I was being held and interrogated in this manner", he added. He said the fact that Irish people are still being treated this way on their way to Britain is very "saddening". "I had hoped to deal with this matter out of the public domain. But seeing as it has become a news item, I feel the need to offer my side of the story. I found the whole affair quite frightening."^{[citation needed]}

Oxegen[link]

On Sunday 10 July 2011 Moore joined Chris Martin from Coldplay on stage at 2011 Oxegen Festival performing the song "Ride On".

Discography[link]

Solo[link]

• Paddy on the Road (1969)
• Prosperous (1972)
• Whatever Tickles Your Fancy (1975)
• Christy Moore (1976)
• The Iron Behind the Velvet (1978)
• Live in Dublin (1978)
• H Block (1980)
• Christy Moore and Friends (1981)
• The Time Has Come (1983)
• Ride On (1984)
• Ordinary Man (1985)
• The Spirit of Freedom (1986)
• Unfinished Revolution (1987)
• Voyage (1989)
• Smoke and Strong Whiskey (1991)
• King Puck (1993)
• Live at the Point (1994)
• Graffiti Tongue (1996)
• Traveller (1999)
• This is the Day (2001)
• Live at Vicar Street (2002)
• Burning Times (2005)
• Live at The Point 2006 (2006)
• Listen (2009)
• Folk Tale (2011)

With Planxty[link]

• Planxty (1972)
• The Well Below the Valley (1973)
• Cold Blow And The Rainy Night (1974)
• After The Break (1979)
• The Woman I Loved So Well (1980)
• Words and Music (1983)
• Planxty Live 2004 (2004)

With Moving Hearts[link]

• Moving Hearts (1981)
• Dark End Of The Street (1982)

Compilation albums[link]

• High Kings of Tara (Christy Moore, Planxty,..) (1980)
• Nice 'n Easy (1984)
• Aris (Planxty) (1984)
• Christy Moore (Compilation USA) (1988)
• The Christy Moore Collection 1981–1991 (1991)
• Christy Moore Collection Part 2 (1997)
• The Box Set 1964 2004 (2004)

Video[link]

• Christy (1995) 54 mins - Christy reflects on life and career.

DVDS[link]

• Christy Moore Uncovered (2001) 104 mins - features collaborations with Jimmy MacCarthy, Wally Page, Shane McGowan, Sinéad O'Connor and John Spillane.
• Planxty Live 2004 The reunion of the hugely popular and influential group after a 20 year hiatus.
• Christy Moore Live In Dublin 2006 (2006) 143 mins - First time a live solo concert has been recorded and released outside CD format. Filmed over 4 nights in December 2005 and January 2006.
• Christy Moore's Come All You Dreamers - Live At Barrowland (2009) - Filmed in Barrowland in Glasgow featuring Declan Sinnott.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Christy Moore's home page
• Review of a Christy Moore concert in Nottingham November 2007
• Review of a Christy Moore concert in Dublin in 2001
• Christy Moore The Early Years
• 4711ers.org '4711' is a term Christy coined which refers to his online fanbase.

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page. (May 2012)

Khader Adnan (also Khader Adnan Mohammad Musa) (born 24 March 1978) was a Palestinian prisoner in Israel. Israeli authorities had not laid any formal charges against him, but said he was arrested for "activities that threaten regional security."^[2] He was released on 18 April 2012 after being on hunger strike for 66 days.^[3]

Adnan is widely reported as being a leader in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the West Bank however his wife says he holds no leadership role in the PIJ, is not involved in militant activities, and is a member of the Palestinian reconciliation committee.^[4] The PIJ is designated a terrorist group by a number of Western countries and Israel,^[2] and Adnan has been convicted in the past by Israel for being a spokesperson for the group.^[5] Though he has been detained several times since 1999, Israel has never charged him with involvement in attacks on Israelis.^[6][7]

He was arrested on 17 December 2011 after midnight.^[8] The following day, to protest the conditions of his arrest, Israel's policy of administrative detention and its treatment of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, particularly prisoners, Adnan went on a hunger strike. On 21 Feb 2012 a deal was announced between Adnan and the Israeli authorities whereby they confirmed he would be released on April 17 2012 and he would immediately end his hunger strike, the longest in Palestinian history.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Adnan owns a bakery and a produce store in his home town of Arraba, near Jenin in the West Bank.^[13][14] He has an undergraduate degree in mathematics, and is pursuing a Masters degree in economics.^[15][16] He is married to Randa Adnan,^[6] with whom he has two daughters, Maali and Bissan, and Randa is pregnant with their third child.^[17]

Life[link]

Adnan's political activism dates back to his days as a student. In 1996, while studying for his undergraduate degree in mathematics at Birzeit University, he became a political advocate on behalf of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).^[18][15] A small Palestinian militant organization, the group has carried out suicide bombings and paramilitary operations against civilian and military targets and is considered a terrorist group by Israel,^[19][20] the United States,^[21] the European Union,^[22] the United Kingdom,^[23] Japan,^[24] Canada,^[25] Australia^[26]

First arrested and detained by Israel in 1999,^[18] he has been detained eight additional times since—six times by Israel (including his current detention), and twice by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).^{[5][6][8][18]} The Palestinian prisoners' support group Addameer said Adnan has spent a total of six years in prison since 1999.^[27]

Adnan spent four months in Israeli administrative detention in 1999.^[18] He was arrested by the PNA eight months after being released for leading a student demonstration against Lionel Jospin in 2000.^[18] At the demonstration, students threw eggs or stones at the former French Prime Minister during his visit to Birzeit to denounce his characterization of Hezbollah's military actions against the Israeli occupation as “terrorism.”^[18][28] His first hunger strike, 10 days long, was undertaken during his detention by the PNA.^[18] He spent a year in administrative detention following his December 2002 arrest by Israel.^[18] Rearrested six months after his release, he was placed in solitary confinement and went on hunger strike for 28 days until the Israel Prisons Service placed him with the general prison population.^[18][6]

He married his wife Randa Adnan in 2005; by this time he had been detained five times for his political affiliation with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).^[6] His wife said before they married he told her that, "his life was not normal, that he might be around for 15 days and then be gone again for a long time. But I always dreamt of marrying someone strong, someone who struggles in defence of his country."^[6]

Adnan has been convicted in the past by Israel for being a spokesperson for the PIJ,^[6][5] and media reports indicate he served as a PIJ spokesman.^{[29][30][7][31]} Gulf News said he has served as a spokesman for the group since 2000,^[18] while The Guardian and Agence France Press said he was a "one-time spokesman" for the PIJ in the past.^[13][32] Reports from Xinhua and Reuters in 2005 said he is considered a "prominent [Islamic] Jihad leader"^[33] and a "senior Islamic Jihad official."^[34] In June 2005, after PIJ members were killed in a shootout with Israeli troops, Adnan "called on all Palestinian militant groups to resume fighting with Israel" and accused the governing entity the PNA of collaborating with Israel.^[35]

In August 2005, Adnan was arrested and imprisoned by Israel for 15 months.^[18] According to Addameer, he held a 12-day hunger strike to protest his isolation in Kfar Yona in 2005.^[27] A YouTube video of a rally in 2007 shows him praising and encouraging suicide bombings: "Who among you will carry the next explosive belt? Who among you will fire the next bullets? Who among you will have his body parts blown all over?"^[36] He was held by Israel for another six months in administrative detention beginning in March 2008.^[18] Arrested by the PNA in 2010 for his political activity,^[18] Gideon Levy said he undertook his first hunger strike during this 12-day detention.^[8]

2011 detention and hunger strike[link]

At the time of his most recent arrest, Adnan was no longer an active spokesman for the PIJ.^[6] He was working as a baker while studying for a master's degree in economics at the Bir Zeit University.^[16] He owns the bakery in nearby Qabatya and a produce store in his hometown of Arraba, near Jenin in the West Bank.^[13][14] A father to two daughters, Maali and Bissan, Randa was pregnant with their third child,^[17] when he was arrested by the Israeli Army on 17 December 2011 from their home in Arraba in the middle of the night.^[31][8] The next day he began a hunger strike that ended 66 days later on 21 February 2012.^[10][9][12]

In a letter he gave to his lawyers for public release, Adnan explained why he was on hunger strike:

The Israeli occupation has gone to extremes against our people, especially prisoners. I have been humiliated, beaten, and harassed by interrogators for no reason, and thus I swore to God I would fight the policy of administrative detention to which I and hundreds of my fellow prisoners fell prey ... The only thing I can do is offer my soul to God, as I believe righteousness and justice will eventually triumph over tyranny and oppression. I hereby assert that I am confronting the occupiers not for my own sake as an individual, but for the sake of thousands of prisoners who are being deprived of their simplest human rights while the world and international community look on. It is time the international community and the UN support prisoners and force the State of Israel to respect international human rights and stop treating prisoners as if they were not humans.^[11][37]

Adnan was interrogated for 18 days following his arrest;^[6] he told his lawyers that during this time Israeli soldiers made sexual innuendos about his wife, mocked his Islamic faith, beat him, tied him to a chair in painful positions, ripped hair from his beard and wiped dirt on his face. Israeli authorities did not comment on these allegations.^[31] According to his wife and lawyers, Adnan's mistreatment continued and included lengthy periods of solitary confinement, multiple strip searches, and continuous abusive interrogation.

He has officially been under administrative detention since 10 January 2012, a term that was set to last until 8 May at which point his detention could be renewed if the Israeli authorities deem it necessary.^[38] As of 31 December 2011, there were 307 Palestinians in administrative detention, including 21 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the parliament of the Palestinian Authority.^[39] Under the administrative detention procedure, the Israeli military can hold detainees for an indefinite period without charge or evidence if it deems them to be security threats.^[9] The decision to detain an individual is based on evidence presented to military judges, but not the defendant or his lawyers, and is subject to judicial review.^[40]

Adnan has not been formally charged with any crime; Israel states he was arrested "for activities that threaten regional security."^[2] BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera reported that Adnan is believed to be a leader of the PIJ in the West Bank.^[9][38][10] Bikya Masr reported he is a "senior leader of the Islamic Jihad organization"^[41] and according to Al-Ahram, He is a "leading figure in Islamic Jihad."^[4]

It is not known if Adnan was directly involved in attacks on Israelis;^[7][31] he has never been charged as such by Israel.^[6] His wife Randa denied Adnan had any leadership role in the PIJ, or any role in militant activities, and said he was a member of a Palestinian reconciliation committee.^[4] She told YNET in 2011 that, "It’s true that he was the Islamic Jihad's spokesman during the intifada, but over the past four years he had nothing to do with it ... He hadn't talked to anyone from the Islamic Jihad. He left that activity altogether."^[42]

He was transferred to a hospital on December 30 but refused treatment from Israeli doctors. After meeting Adnan in the hospital, the organization Physicians for Human Rights - Israel, expressed "grave concern" and about his situation,^[9] which its doctors described as "critical."^[10] About 50 days into his hunger strike his wife Randa was permitted to visit him and stated he appeared emaciated and dirty and was shackled to his hospital bed.^[9]

On 9 February, in response to criticism from human rights groups, the Israeli Prison Authority stated Adnan's case was being "strictly according to the law ... with special attention being given to his humanitarian situation."^[9] The prison service also stated that Adnan agreed to take potassium pills and does not want to die.^[10]

Randa Adnan appealed to Egyptian authorities to help release her husband stating "Hope is now in Egypt to release Adnan. There's talk about Egyptian efforts to do so and I hope it's true. Egypt had an active role in the last prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel – it is our older sister and we hope it intervenes."^[4] The Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs confirmed that Egypt was intervening with Israel to release Adnan.^[43] She has also said that Adnan will not backtrack on his decision, and that, "When I married him I knew I should expect anything. I am proud of him whether he is under the ground or above it."^[6]

Almost two months into his hunger strike, it was reported that Adnan agreed to having electrolytes, vitamins, glucose, and salts added to the water he is drinking.^[31][13] His doctors noted that, "A fast in excess of 70 days does not permit survival. Infusion of liquids, adjustment of salts, and the addition of glucose and vitamin cannot prevent certain death due to such a protracted hunger strike."^[13]

An Israeli military court judge rejected his first appeal against detention in a session convened at a hospital in Safed where he was being held on 13 February 2012.^[38]

On 16 February, Adnan's lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court of Israel to release him, citing that Adnan is in "immediate danger of death." Lawyer Mahmoud Kassandra stated "This is the last chance. The medical report says he could die at any minute. We hope this will succeed but I am not optimistic." Following a visit to Adnan by Rebecca Ziv from Physicians for Human Rights - Israel, she said of his situation:^[13]

He has lost 30kg and weighs 60kg. He suffers from stomach aches, vomiting, sometimes with blood, and headaches … His general condition is pale and very weak, his tongue is smooth, he has slight bleeding from the gums, dry skin, loss of hair, and significant muscular atrophy. His pulse is weak, blood pressure 100/75. He is permanently connected to a heart monitor.

The Supreme Court initially scheduled a hearing for 23 February but moved it to 21 February following concerns about his health.^[44] Moments before the hearing was convened, it was announced that a deal had been reached between Adnan's lawyers and the Israeli prosecution lawyers whereby Adnan would stop his hunger strike in exchange for his 4-month detention being counted from the day of his arrest and a promise not to renew his administrative detention barring the presentation of any new evidence.^[45]

Reactions[link]

Adnan's hunger strike has drawn critical scrutiny of Israel's practice of administrative detention by a number of human rights groups, international bodies and Palestinian leaders and protesters. He has garnered a large following on Facebook and Twitter. Several of Adnan's supporters argue his case has not received proper coverage in the international and Israeli media.^[13]

Demonstrations and solidarity strikes[link]

Demonstration in support of Adnan in Ni'lin on 17 February 2012. There have been several demonstrations supporting Adnan's hunger strike throughout the West Bank.^[46]

Graffiti stencils of Khader Adnan on a wall by Manara square in Ramallah

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Closeup view of graffiti stencil

Some Palestinians have protested in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in support of Adnan.^[9] Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners have joined Adnan's hunger strike in solidarity.^[38] Adnan's father Musa Adnan started an open-ended hunger strike on 6 February, telling Ma'an News Agency it would "enable him to support his son and understand his pain."^[47] His hometown of Arraba has been a center of demonstrations, with solidarity protesters camping outside his house which Palestinian and foreign officials have been visiting to inquire about Adnan's health conditions.^[4] Around 50-60 Palestinian protested outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to show solidarity with Adnan on 8 February.^[48]

On 11 February hundreds of Palestinians staged a demonstration at the Ofer Prison where Adnan was being held. The Israeli Army dispersed the protesters using rubber bullets and tear gas, injuring 16.^[49] At a separate demonstration in Beit Ummar near Hebron two Israelis and two Palestinians were arrested by Israel.^[38] Dozens of students from Birzeit University that gathered outside Ofer Prison on 13 February demanding Adnan's release were dispersed by Israeli security forces resulting in the injury of 23 people.^[49] On 15 February, supporters began an open hunger strike at a sit-in in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City.^[50]

On 16 February, the 61st day of Adnan's hunger strike, thousands of demonstrators protested throughout the Palestinian territories.^[13][32] About 1,000 mostly young Palestinians protested outside of Ofer Prison before being dispersed and in Hebron, hundreds of supporters held a sit-in holding posters reading "No to administrative arbitrary detention." That same day, Palestinians observed a 10-hour hunger strike in solidarity.^[32]

Around 5,000 protesters demonstrated in Gaza City on 17 February chanting "We are all Khader Adnan," with the PIJ, Hamas and Fatah factions all participating.^[2] In Jenin, meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians partook in a solidarity protest.^[2]

Human rights groups[link]

Addameer, a Palestinian prisoners' support group expressed "utmost concern about the health" of Adnan, holding Israel accountable for his life.^[51] The head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society Qadura Fares condemned the Israeli court's refusal of Adnan's appeal..^[49]

Human Rights Watch stated Israel must "immediately end its unlawful administrative detention" of Adnan and "charge or release him." Spokeswoman Sarah Leah Whitson said "Israel should end, today, before it's too late, its almost two-month-long refusal to inform Adnan of any criminal charge or evidence against him."^[38] Amnesty International condemned Israel's policy of administrative detention,^[9] and the Israeli human rights group B'tselem sent an urgent request to Israeli Minister of Intelligence, Dan Meridor, to either immediately release or try Adnan to "prevent a needless tragedy to him and his family."^[52]