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Bagram Jail is still packed with hundreds of prisoners. Some of these cells are being controlled by US forces and some by Afghans. And now these men are reviewing the files of each prisoner there. They are members of a three-panel commission appointed by President Hamid Karzai. So far, they have met 764 prisoners and investigated their cases. And 650 of them have been let go. Others have been found innocent too. They will be released soon. It may be good news for their families, but not for the US military men. They want this move to be blocked. An American military official has been quoted as saying \"These guys are tied directly to killing and trying to kill our forces and Afghan forces\". He also called it an issue of deep concern. And here is how the Afghan commission reacted to their concerns. The main dispute is over 88 inmates. Americans think they will soon return to the battle field and fight back. The move also comes as the relations between President Karzai and White House are already at very low ebb since Karzai refused to let American forces stay beyond 2014. Now, how will this latest dispute unfold, remains to be seen. U-S and Afghan officials have different views on the status of prisoners in Bagram Jail. Afghan government says the prisoners are innocent and there is no evidence to prove that they are terrorists. But the U-S military insists that these prisoners are very dangerous people. And the issue comes at a very sensitive time in relations between Kabul and Afghanistan.

Palestinians in Gaza have staged yet another protest in support of prisoners held in Israeli jails. The protest was organized by Waed Society for Palestinian Prisoners as well as the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs. The Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association says, as of January 2014, there have been more than five-thousand Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. The prisoners include 155 administrative detainees, 17 women and 154 children. Also, 10 Palestinian prisoners are now on a hunger strike in an attempt to end their sufferings and their administrative detention.

[14 May 2012] Palestinian prisoners continue hunger strike - Middle East Today - English An estimated 1,600 to 2,000 Palestinian prisoners began an open-ended hunger strike on April 17. They do this to protest against Israel's administrative detention rules, the use of solitary confinement, maltreatment of sick detainees, and difficulty in securing family visits and strip searches that are imposed on visitors. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh calls on Israel to release Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike to protest their detention. Arab League permanent representatives held an urgent meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to discuss the situation of Palestinian prisoners and hunger-strikers in Israeli jails

More tension in US-Afghanistan ties. Washington wants Kabul to halt the release of prisoners from a jail that was handed over to Afghan officials recently. The Bagram prison north of Kabul has been holding hundreds of prisoners for years. They were detained while the facility was under the American control. But the US ceded its control to the Afghans after several years of delay. Now, the Afghan government wants to free 88 prisoners there. It follows the release of at least 600 and fifty inmates. Kabul says it\\\'s found insufficient evidence to continue their detention. But Washington is angry about this, saying the prisoners pose a serious security threat. The row comes at a time when relations between the two sides are at a new low. Ties have grown strained particularly over President Hamid Karzai\\\'s refusal to sign a security deal to keep US troops in Afghanistan after 2014.

The Bagram prison north of Kabul has been holding hundreds of prisoners for years. They were detained while the facility was under the American control. But the US ceded its control to the Afghans after several years of delay. Now, the Afghan government wants to free 88 prisoners there. It follows the release of at least 6-hundred and fifty inmates. Kabul says it\'s found insufficient evidence to continue their detention. But Washington is angry about this, saying the prisoners pose a serious security threat. The row comes at a time when relations between the two sides are at a new low. Ties have grown strained particularly over President Hamid Karzai\'s refusal to sign a security deal to keep U-S troops in Afghanistan after 20-14.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement has held a sit-in in front of the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in solidarity with thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention centers. The sit-in came when families of prisoners and detainees were holding a weekly meeting inside the ICRC office. Islamic Jihad has been spearheading the campaign to garner support for prisoners mainly the sick ones and those on hunger-strike. The PIJ has planned several activities for the coming weeks to draw attentions to the suffering of prisoners who are languishing inside Israeli jails.

[16 July 2012] Palestinians rally to demand release of prisoners - English Palestinians in Gaza held a large rally in front of the office of the international committee of the Red Cross. They demanded the immediate release of all Palestinian prisoners, especially administrative detainees and those who have been on hunger strike for many weeks. Among the protestors were former detainees who were released in a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel in late 2011.

[25 July 2012] Morsi orders release of political prisoners - English It has become a tradition set in Egypt that at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan every year, the president announces a pardoning of prisoners. This year the newly elected president Mohamed Morsi issued a decree ordering the release of 572 civilians convicted in Military prisons.

Families of hunger striking Palestinian and Jordanian prisoners held in Israeli jails, have rallied in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross office in the central West Bank city of al Bireh. The prisoners are currently refusing food in protest to their treatment by Israeli authorities. 5 of the prisoners refusing food from their Israeli jailers have Jordanian citizenship, while the rest hold identity cards issued by the Palestinian Authority.

The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine has organized a rally outside the United Nations office and the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza to protest Israeli medical negligence against Palestinian prisoners. Hundreds of prisoners are suffering from various life threatening diseases inside Israeli jails. The protesters held banners condemning Israeli inhumane policies towards Palestinian prisoners.

[14 May 2014] Students have held a string of events in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners - English

[08 June 2014] West Bank shops closed to support hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners - English

[05 Jan 2015] Report says Palestinian prisoners receive inhumane treatment - English

All political prisoners must be released for a national dialogue to occur between the Western-backed Bahraini regime and the opposition, an analyst says. “If you want a dialogue, you need to start from the basis that all political prisoners need to be freed,” Raza Kazim, from the Islamic Human Rights Commission in London, said in an interview with Press TV. The ruling regime in Bahrain has called for a fresh round of talks with the opposition after months of brutal crackdown on protesters, demanding an end to Al Khalifa dynasty, which has ruled the country for over 40 years.

Mass rallies celebrate freed Palestinian prisoners

[06 Sept 2012] Relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Israel rally in front of Egyptian Embassy - English

[13 Oct 2012] Israeli forces raid injures Palestinian prisoners - English

[11 Nov 2012] Tunisia hosts Intl Congress for Palestinian prisoners - English

[08 Jan 2013] Afghan govt to decide about Bagram prisoners - English

[03 Mar 2013] Gazans display photo gallery of prisoners in Israeli jails - English

[17 April 2013] Gazans rally to mark Prisoners Day - English

[14 Oct 2013] Prisoners held in Israeli jails deprived of seeing family members - English

Hundreds of Palestinians have gathered at the Erez crossing with Israel as Tel Aviv prepares to release 26 Palestinian prisoners. The release, expected in a few hours, is the third of four planned stages. All 26 of the Palestinians have spent between 19 and 28 years in Israeli prisons. 18 are from the occupied West Bank, three from the Gaza Strip, and five from East Jerusalem al-Quds. Last summer, Israel agreed to release a total of 104 long-serving Palestinian prisoners. The deal was made during the US-brokered direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority. Despite the latest release, thousands of Palestinians are still incarcerated in Israel -- and many of them have not even been charged with any offense.

[16 Mar 2014] A dozen Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails on hunger strike - English

[18 Mar 2014] UN: ISIL committed war crimes by executing prisoners in January - English

[07 May 2014] Gazan farmers, fishermen rally to support prisoners - English

[09 May 2014] Palestinian factions join in to back hunger striking prisoners - English

[09 May 2014] Gazans hold rallies to back Palestinian prisoners - English