Archbishop Desmond Tutu joins International Footballers in calling for justice to save the life of Palestinian Footballer, Mahmoud Sarsak
On Wednesday 20th June, Wrexham will see an international protest like nothing it has seen before.
Between 5pm to 6.30pm outside Wrexham Stadium; supporters of human rights will come from all over Britain to protest that the Israeli Women's football team are allowed to play Wales in the Women's European Championship qualifiers.
While these sportswomen are being welcomed by international sports bodies, their sponsor, the state of Israel is preventing Palestinians from participating in sport through its illegal occupation.
Currently, Mahmoud Sarsak, a member of the Palestinian national football team is in the 88th day of a hunger strike against his imprisonment without charge or trial since July 2009, when he was abducted while on the way to play in a match.
Earlier this year two other professional footballers were kidnapped and imprisoned without charge or trial: Omar Khaled Abu Itweis, 23 years old goalkeeper of the Olympic team, who works for the Palestinian Red Crescent, and Mohammad Saadi Ibrahim Nimner, 22 years old, who plays for Al-Amaari professional team.
Pressure is mounting in the football world in support of Mahmoud Sarsak as his condition deteriorates with internationals such as Eric Cantona, Nicolas Anelka and Kenoute supporting the immediate release of Mahmoud Sarsak. Red Card Against Israel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Eric Cantona have all signed a letter to FIFA and the British Sports Minister. FIFA has called on the Israeli Football Association to lobby Israeli authorities to ensure "the physical integrity of the concerned players as well as their right for due process."
Hon President of PSC, Betty Hunter, said: "The sporting boycott against South Africa was one of the most effective tools employed in ostracising that state and exposing its Apartheid regime and disregard for human rights.
We support an international sports boycott of Israel, including the demand from the Palestinian Professional Footballers President that the 2013 Under 21 tournament does not take place in Israel until it abides by international law and ends its occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people."
