The Israeli occupation court in Al-Nasirah decided at noon on Tuesday to postpone issuing its decision on the appeal of the Freedom Tunnel prisoners until February 14, the Al Mayadeen correspondent in occupied Palestine reported today.

The Central Court in Nazareth set a date for a new appeal hearing for the prisoners of the Operation Freedom Tunnel, based on their protest against the sentences issued against them.

"The six heroic prisoners attended the appeal session with very high morale, despite the restrictions they suffer from in the occupation prisons," Al Mayadeen correspondent stated.

"الأسرى الأبطال الستة يحضرون جلسة الاستئناف وتبدو معنوياتهم مرتفعة جداً".

مراسلة #الميادين هناء محاميد من داخل المحكمة المركزية بالناصرة#فلسطين @HanaaMahamed pic.twitter.com/RQVWdo50dt

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) January 10, 2023

The prisoners' defense team is calling for a reduction in the sentence time that was added to the previous prison sentences.

The court issued a 5-year prison sentence for the six prisoners and 4 years for the other five prisoners who helped them plan and excavate.

"جلسة الاستئناف في قضية #نفق_الحرية ستبدأ بعد قليل".

مراسلة الميادين هناء محاميد من داخل المحكمة المركزية بالناصرة#فلسطين @HanaaMahamed pic.twitter.com/wgeot4eRJP

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) January 10, 2023

The Palestinian Prisoners' Authority said that the appeal is based on the harsh and illogical rulings imposed by the court to deter and avenge the prisoners.

The sentences imposed on the prisoners were "purely politically motivated," as they were able to "break the military security system and its political institutions," it added.

"The appeal request also came due to the illegality of trying prisoners twice in civil courts and once in disciplinary courts within the prisons, where prisoners are brought from time to time before disciplinary courts and are subject to strict provisions and penalties, including isolation and deprivation of the most basic rights, which breaches all international agreements and laws," the authority explained.

The Israeli occupation court in Al-Nasirah issued a sentence of 5 years and 8 months of imprisonment and a fine against 5 of the Freedom Tunnel prisoners, in addition to four years of imprisonment against the other prisoners who provided assistance to the Freedom Tunnel prisoners.

On the Monday morning of September 6, 2021, six Palestinian prisoners broke out of the high-security Israeli Gilboa prison through a tunnel they dug, which led them outside the prison walls before they were arrested.

The Freedom Tunnel prisoners are Mahmoud Al-Aridah, Zakaria Al-Zubaidi, Yaqoub Qadri, Mohammad Al-Aridah, Ayham Kamamji, and Munadel Nafi'at.