Occupied Ramallah, 10 April 2013 - Fares Ziad, a lawyer from Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association recently met with hunger striking administrative detainee Samer Al-Barq (38 years old) at Ramleh prison clinic. Ziad confirmed that Al-Barq continues to undertake an open hunger strike, which he began on 27 February 2013 in protest of the renewal of a three-month administrative detention order issued against him on 24 February 2013.

 

According to Ziad, Al-Barq is only ingesting vitamins, sugar, and water. He is currently being held in isolation and has descended into a constant daze as a result of his hunger strike and the resulting deterioration of his health condition.

 

Al-Barq has undertaken three hunger strikes during the past two years, the most recent of which took place from 14 October 2012 to 18 October 2012 and took place in protest of Al-Barq‘s continued administrative detention since 11 July 2010.

 

During the same visit to the Ramleh Prison clinic, Ziad also met with prisoner Muhammad Al-Taj (41 years old), from the town of Tubas in the northern West Bank. Al-Taj‘s health is in very poor condition following an episode of lung failure and he must remain constantly connected to oxygen and any effort whatsoever only exacerbates his condition. Al-Taj is currently taking 12 pills a day merely to keep his condition stable, though the pills have no value in terms of actually treating his condition or precipitating a recovery.

 

Al-Taj was transferred to Mair Hospital in Kfar Saba for medical examinations a month ago, where doctors confirmed that he needs a lung transplant and additional medical tests. However, the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has yet to respond to the doctors‘ requests to undertake these procedures. In addition, a doctor at Ramleh prison clinic informed Ziad that the IPS refuses to cover the costs of the operation.

 

According to Ziad Al-Taj only sleeps 3 hours a day because of his illness and pain. His health is an extremely precarious state as a result of medical neglect of the Israeli authorities.

 

Al-Taj previously undertook a 67-day hunger strike, which he ended on 21 May 2012 after concluding a deal with the IPS, according to which he would be dealt with as a prisoner of war. Al-Taj was scheduled to have a hearing before a court that will consider reducing his sentence by a third on 7 April 2013, but the hearing was postponed give the seriousness of his health condition. 

 

Younis Al-Huroub (31 years old) from Al-Khalil (Hebron) today enters his 50^th day on hunger strike in protest of his continued administrative detention. The hunger strike, which he began on 19 February 2013, is causing Al-Huroub’s health to deteriorate rapidly.

 

Al-Huroub was previously detained for six years, from 2002 to 2008, and is married with two children. Al-Huroub’s current period of administrative detention began on 10 July 2012, when he was given an order for six months, which was then extended for additional six months just days before his original order expired.

 

Addameer lawyers continue to be banned from visiting hunger striking detainee Al-Huroub, as well as hunger striking prisoner Samer Al-Issawi, who is currently being held in Kaplan Hospital.

 

Addameer renews its call for the Secretary General of the United Nations and all international organizations to pressure Israel, the Occupying Power, to release all the hunger striking administrative detainees and demands that the policy of administrative detention be discontinued immediately. Addameer further calls on the international community for pressure Israel to fulfill its obligations as an Occupying Power and provide the appropriate medical care for all Palestinian detainees and prisoners currently in Israeli jails. Addameer also demands that immediate steps are taken to ensure the immediate release of the hunger striker Samer Al-Issawi in order to save his life.

 

*Write to your own elected representatives urging them to pressure Israel to release all hunger strikers and those prisoners suffering from medical neglect.