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<h1>Concern mounts for three remaining hunger strikers </h1>
<span class="text">
<p><i><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=501">http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=501</a><br>
</i></p>
<p><i>Ramallah-Jaffa</i>, <i>30 July 2012 —</i> 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<sup>th</sup> day of renewed hunger strike, and
Hassan Safadi who is on his 40<sup>th</sup> 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.</p>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR">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.</div>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR">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. </div>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR"><b>Akram Rikhawi</b> 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.</div>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR">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</div>
<div dir="LTR"> <br>
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.</div>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR">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. </div>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR"><b>Hassan Safadi</b> is on his 40<sup>th</sup> 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.</div>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR">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.</div>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR">Today represents <b>Ayman Sharawna’s</b> 30<sup>th</sup>
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. </div>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR">While <b>administrative detention</b> 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 <b><i>“guarantee
that minimum standards on detention be respected,</i> to bring to trial
all detainees, [and] to put an end to the use of 'administrative
detention orders</b>”. 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.”</div>
<div dir="LTR"> </div>
<div dir="LTR">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:</div>
<ul>
<li>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; </li>
<li>Unrestricted access for independent physicians to all hunger
strikers;</li>
<li>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;</li>
<li>That no hunger striker be shackled while hospitalized;</li>
<li>That all hunger strikers—especially those in advanced stages of
hunger strike—be allowed family visits, while they are still lucid;</li>
<li>That all information regarding prisoners medical conditions be
given to their families, in accordance with standards of medical
ethics;</li>
<li>That Hassan Safadi, Samer Al-Barq and Omar Abo-Shalal along with
all other administrative detainees, be immediately and unconditionally
released;</li>
</ul>
</span>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.freedomarchives.org">www.freedomarchives.org</a></div>
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