[Ppnews] Palestine - Concern mounts for three remaining hunger strikers

[Political Prisoner News]

  Concern mounts for three remaining hunger strikers

/http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=501
/

/Ramallah-Jaffa/, /30 July 2012 ---/ Addameer Prisoner Support and Human 
Rights Association, Al-Haq and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel 
(PHR-IL) are gravely concerned for the life and health of the three 
remaining Palestinian hunger strikers held by Israel. Of utmost concern 
is the health and life of administrative detainees Samer Al-Barq, today 
on his 70^th day of renewed hunger strike, and Hassan Safadi who is on 
his 40^th day of renewed hunger strike. Samer, whose current strike 
follows his previous 28-day strike and whose health continues to 
deteriorate rapidly, is only taking salts and vitamins and he is still 
being held in isolation.

Following the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) denial of access of an 
independent doctor to the hunger strikers Samer, Hassan and prisoner 
Akram Rikhawi, PHR-IL submitted three appeals to the district court of 
Petah Tekva requesting immediate access to independent doctors. On 23 
July, the district court ordered the IPS to allow an independent doctor 
to see Samer no later than 1 August and to see Hassan and Akram within 
two days of the hearing.
Despite prior coordination with the IPS regarding a PHR-IL doctor's 
visit to Ramleh prison medical centre on 25 July to examine both Akram 
and Hassan, the IPS informed the doctor on her arrival that Hassan had 
been taken to a court hearing and therefore only Akram could be 
examined. In clear breach of the court order, the IPS still ignores 
PHR-IL requests to allow the independent doctor visit to Samer and Hassan.
*Akram Rikhawi* ended his hunger strike on 22 July after 102 days upon 
reaching an agreement with the IPS. According to the agreement Akram 
will be released on 25 January 2013 to his home in the Gaza Strip, which 
is six months prior to his original release date.
Following the visit to Akram, the PHR-IL doctor reported that though his 
general feeling has improved, he is still suffering from multiple 
conditions which have been left untreated.  Akram's asthma continues to 
be a cause for concern and is severely unstable despite treatment with 
steroids. The doctor also emphasized that asthma is a life-threatening 
illness that in the case of a severe attack could lead to death. 
Furthermore, the doctor also found that Akram suffers from unbalanced 
diabetes and recommended the renewal of his treatment which was stopped 
during the hunger strike

Akram also suffers from severe weakness in his left foot with a lack of 
full sensation in his left thigh. As his condition has not improved 
since ending the strike, this would indicate progressive motor and 
sensory damage to the left thigh. The PHR-IL doctor recommended Akram's 
immediate referral to a public hospital in order to identify the 
etiology and to perform a full neurological investigation.
It should be noted that in the two previous visits of the PHR-IL doctors 
to Akram, on 6 June and 5July, both recommended further medical 
neurological investigation and warned of the danger of peripheral nerve 
damage. The doctors also recommended immediate examination by a lung 
specialist. To date, these recommendations have not been performed.
*Hassan Safadi* is on his 40^th day of renewed hunger strike, after 
previously spending 71 days on prolonged hunger strike. His last 
administrative detention order was due to expire on 29 June and, 
according to the agreement ending the Palestinian prisoners' mass hunger 
strike, he was supposed to be released on that date. However on 21 June 
he was informed of the renewal of his administrative detention order for 
a further six months, in violation of the agreement.
According to PHR-IL lawyer Mohamad Mahagni following his visit to Hassan 
on 22 July, Hassan is currently being held in an isolated cell. Hassan 
has reported escalating pressure from the IPS to end his hunger strike. 
Hassan further noted that his court hearing on 25 July has been delayed 
again until 07 August, stressing that he is in no condition to travel 15 
hours every time for the court hearings. He also reported suffering from 
kidney problems, sight problems, extreme weakness, severe weight loss, 
headaches, dizziness and has difficulty standing.
Today represents *Ayman Sharawna's* 30^th day of hunger strike. Ayman 
was released as part of the prisoner exchange deal in October 2011, only 
to be re-arrested on 31 January 2012. No charges have been filed against 
him. Ayman has been recently transferred to Ramleh prison medical center 
due to the deterioration in his health.
While *administrative detention* is allowed under international 
humanitarian law, it must be used only under exceptional circumstances 
as it infringes upon basic human rights, including the right to a fair 
trial. Indeed, the denial of a fair trial constitutes a 'grave breach' 
of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Furthermore, the European Parliament 
called on Israel in a September 2008 resolution to */"guarantee that 
minimum standards on detention be respected,/ to bring to trial all 
detainees, [and] to put an end to the use of 'administrative detention 
orders*". The United Nations Human Rights Committee has stated several 
times that prolonged administrative detention is likely to result in the 
exposure of detainees to "torture, ill-treatment and other violations of 
human rights."
In light of the further deterioration of the conditions of the remaining 
Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, Addameer, Al-Haq and PHR-IL urge 
the international community to immediately intervene on their behalf and 
demand:

    * That the agreements reached on 14 and 15 May 2012 be respected,
      including the release of administrative detainees who were
      promised release at the end of their current orders, renewal of
      family visits and lifting of the punitive measures used against
      Palestinians in Israeli custody;
    * Unrestricted access for independent physicians to all hunger strikers;
    * The immediate transfer of Akram Rikhawi and Samer Al-Barq, as well
      as all other hunger strikers who have been striking to for more
      than 40 days to public hospitals;
    * That no hunger striker be shackled while hospitalized;
    * That all hunger strikers---especially those in advanced stages of
      hunger strike---be allowed family visits, while they are still lucid;
    * That all information regarding prisoners medical conditions be
      given to their families,   in accordance with standards of medical
      ethics;
    * That Hassan Safadi, Samer Al-Barq and Omar Abo-Shalal  along with
      all other administrative detainees, be immediately and
      unconditionally released;

-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863-9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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