PFLP demands investigation into allegations of organ theft by occupation soldiers

[M.T. Al-Mansouri, Ph.D.]

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called on Saturday, August 22, 2009 for an immediate, serious investigation into reports alleging that Zionist occupation forces stole organs from young Palestinians they killed in the West Bank and Gaza. These reports, published in the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, quoted Palestinians who recalled young men who had been seized by Zionist forces and killed in custody, and their bodies being returned missing organs, as well as that the bodies of young Palestinians killed in clashes were taken by the occupation forces and buried without being returned to their families. The PFLP said in its statement that these reports should be taken seriously by international human rights organizations, and fully investigated. Crimes and abuses by the occupation forces have been repeatedly reported and yet the occupation army has been able to commit crime after crime without punishment or accountability, despite vast amounts of evidence of occupation crimes. In addition, the statement noted that similar issues have been raised time and time again since the 1980s, and that there have been repeated reports of organ theft and improper experimentation on Palestinians killed by the occupation forces. In Gaza in the 1980s, soldiers were said to have stolen organs from children taken to Israeli hospitals, where they died. In addition, numerous Israelis have been indicated in Europe and the United States to be involved in international organ-trading networks, including sales of human organs and money laundering. The Front commended Donald Bostrom, the reporter from Aftonbladet, and all efforts being made by individuals and institutions around the world in order to bring the occupation forces to justice for their crimes against our people, as well as in the struggle to build global solidarity in order to force the occupier to stop its crimes and racist practices and recognize the national rights of the Palestinian people. The party praised the work of correspondent Donald Boström and all those who facilitated his reporting. The PFLP reiterated its call for the need to bring Israeli soldiers to justice for their actions.