Description

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Syrian political prisoner (from the occupied Golan Heights) Sidqi Suleiman Al-Maqt will be released from Israeli prison Wednesday after 27 years in captivity. Al-Maqt is currently 45 years old.



Born on April 16, 1967 in Majdal Shams town, in the occupied Golan Heights, Al-Maqt and his comrades, Midhat As-Saleh, Seetan Al-Waly, Hayel Abu Zeid, Asem Al-Waly, and Bisher Al-Maqt, formed a movement called “The Secret Resistance Movement”, and managed to obtain some grenades and mines after breaking into an Israeli military base in the area.

It is worth mentioning that Hayel Abu Zeid died on 07\07\2005 of Leukemia and several other health complications due to the lack of proper medical treatment in Israeli prisons.

Sidqi is believed to have monitored Israeli military camps, in different parts of the occupied Golan Heights, and was a member of a group that detonated an Israeli military base, near Biqatha village.

Al-Waly was kidnapped by the Israeli army on August 23, 1985; only 21 days after Israel kidnaped Bishir Al-Maqt. On May, 20, 1986, an Israeli Military Court in Lod sentenced him to 27 years imprisonment – during the court session, Al-Waly and his comrades refused to stand for the judge and said that they do not recognize the legitimacy of the court as it is a court run by the occupation.

“You raped my land, and I have the right to resist your illegal occupation”, he said, “I do not recognize your courts”. He and his comrades then chanted the Syrian national anthem, and were removed from court.

Al-Waly is considered one of the senior figures among the Arab and Palestinian political prisoners, organized and participated in many protests demanding Israel to provide the detainees with their legitimate internationally guaranteed rights.

Thousands of residents in the Golan Heights, his family and friends, are preparing a large celebration to welcome him and congratulate him for his release. They will be marching to the Galboa’ Israeli prison, where he is being held, and after his release, they will be driving in several Arab cities and towns, in the north of Palestine, before driving through towns and villages in the occupied Golan Heights until reaching his village, Majdal Shams.

It is worth mentioning that 13 lawyers defended Al-Waly and his comrades, but the Israeli military court issued its rulings that were considered politically motivated to defend Israel’s occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights.

The rulings issued by the court are;

Hayel Hussein Abu Zeid, 27 years.
Sidqi Suleiman Al-Maqt, 27 years.
Bishir Suleiman Al-Maqt, 27 years.
Seetan Nimir Al-Waly, 27 years.
Asem Mahmoud Al-Waly, 27 years.
Ayman Hayel Abu Jabal, 12 years.
Ziad Aref Abu Jabal, 12 years.
Issam Jamil Abu Zeid, 10 years.
Abdul-Latif Yousef Ash-Sha’er, 7 years.
Keir-Ed-Deen Tawfiq Al-Halabi, 4 years.