ASRA Board Member Geir Kjell Andersland recently published an open letter to the leaders of all political parties in the Norway.

On Monday, 05 January 2026, a delegation from the European Alliance in Defence of Palestinian Detainees, including the coalition's honorary president, Mr. Peter Eisenstein, met with the Director of the Red Cross in Norway, Mr. Simen Saxebøl.

In a coordinated action with other Alliance groups around Europe, Coalition member Thale Brenna delivered a memorandum signed by a large number of institutions, organizations, and parties throughout Europe and the world regarding the conditions of Palestinian and Arab prisoners and detainees in occupation prisons.

The letter calls on the International Committee of the Red Cross to exercise its role in pressuring the occupation government to allow Red Cross experts to assess the conditions of prisoners and detainees and compel Israel to treat them in accordance with international law.

Click Here for the Letter

Recent actions:

Open letter to the country’s party leaders

Why do you remain so silent about the call for mass murder by the Israeli authorities?

Israel’s Minister of Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has recently called for 30 or 40 Palestinians to be killed every night in Gaza. He adds that Palestinians have no human dignity, as they are all merely ‘human animals’. This is the same minister who is now eagerly involved in the installation of gallows in Israeli prisons for the execution of Palestinian prisoners. He is also keen to arrange for the public to be able to witness the executions.

The UN Secretary-General has expressed his strong condemnation and described the statements as appalling.

Both France and Germany have echoed this condemnation.

France’s Foreign Minister has described Ben-Gvir’s request as unacceptable and inhumane. He added that the violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinians should fill us all with revulsion.

It is worth noting that this criticism comes from two of the countries that have so far been the most vocal in suppressing criticism and demonstrations in support of Palestine.

But where is the condemnation from Norway’s top politicians?

Is the work on fuel taxes and electricity subsidies really so time-consuming that there is no room for a clear rebuke of calls from the Israeli government for murder and support for settler violence?

Surely it cannot be a lack of will?

Geir Kjell Andersland 

Solicitor, Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child at the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) – Norway

On November 26, ASRA: The European Alliance in Defence of Palestinian Detainees organised a conference to discuss current actions in courts and on the ground to protect and defend Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons.