*G4S loses its contract with the European Parliament *

** **

The European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine
(ECCP) is pleased to be able to mark Palestinian Prisoners Day by
announcing that the European Union has declined to renew a contract with
private security company G4S amidst concerns raised by MEPs and campaign
groups about the role the company plays in equipping Israeli prisons in
which Palestinian political prisoners are held in violation of
international law. ****

** **

G4S has provided security services to the buildings of the European
Parliament since 2008 but the contract award notice (service contract
118611-2012) published on the EU official tenders’ website on April 13th
shows that G4S hast lost its contract with the European Parliament. ****

** **

In March 2011, a group of 28 Members of the European Parliament, including
8 MEPs from Denmark and 6 from the UK wrote a letter to former EU
Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, demanding that the Parliament dropped G4S
as the principal security contractor if G4S continued to provide security
services to illegal Israeli settlements, checkpoints and Israeli prisons at
which Palestinians are detained. Their demands were a response to
investigations conducted by the Danish NGO DanWatch and a report made by
the Israeli research project “Who Profits” which revealed and documented
G4S’ implication in illegal activities in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory. ****

With the assistance of lawyers and in cooperation with Jews for Justice
for Palestinians, campaigners from ECCP member organisations also raised
the issue with various EU officials. G4S held a meeting for MEPs and EU
officials in an attempt to deflect the criticisms but failed to provide
sufficient guarantees that it would abandon all of its illegal activities.**
**
****

** **

“*The non-renewal of this contract with a company that is deeply complicit
with Israeli violations of international law is a vital step towards
ensuring that Israel and corporations comply with basic legal standards*”
said ECCP chairperson Pierre Galand. ****

** **

“*We also salute and thank those MEPs that we are pleased to have worked
alongside on this effective campaign*.” ****

** **

“*People of conscience across Europe are inspired by the new wave of
peaceful resistance by Palestinian prisoners against routine mistreatment,
torture and imprisonment without trial*.” ****

** **

Palestinian prisoners’ day this year takes place in the context of
inspiring resistance and hunger strikes, including the high profile hunger
strikes of Hana Shalabi and Khader Adnan, two Palestinians held by Israel
without charge. Palestinian prisoners are set to engage with a new round of
civil disobedience. Prisoners’ day is being marked with demonstrations and
activities across Europe. ****

** **

For more information on the Palestinian prisoners’ day see: ****

 http://www.addameer.org/einside.php?id=7&srcopt=1&page=2&srckey=Keywords&fromdate=From%20Date&todate=To%20Date&cat_year=Year
****

for more information on G4S' activities in Palestine:  http://whoprofits.org/g4s_report