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<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element"><font
size="-2"><a class="domain reader-domain"
href="https://imemc.org/article/al-akhras-if-am-going-to-die-i-want-it-to-be-at-home/">https://imemc.org/article/al-akhras-if-am-going-to-die-i-want-it-to-be-at-home/</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">Hunger-Striker Al-Akhras Finally
Allowed Visit from Family <br>
</h1>
October 26, 2020</div>
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<p>The long-term hunger striker Maher al-Akhras, on the
90th day of his water-only hunger strike, was finally
allowed to receive a visit from his wife and daughter on
Sunday. It was a tearful reunion, as his young daughter
embraced her father’s frail, bony body. al-Akhras is
nearing death, according to medical personnel from the
International Committee of the Red Cross who have been
monitoring his medical condition.</p>
<p>This is the first visit he has been allowed from his
family since he was taken into custody on July 27th by
Israeli authorities. He has also been denied access to
legal counsel and has never been told what his charges
are.</p>
<p>Former political prisoner, researcher and the head of
the Studies and Documentation Committee of the
Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees,
Abdul-Nasser Ferwana, told the IMEMC that the army
wanted to move al-Akhras to the Ramla Prison Clinic
after the soldiers invaded his room, but they eventually
did not transfer him, and he is still in Kaplan Medical
Center.</p>
<p>updated from:</p>
<p><strong>Al-Akhras: “If Am Going To Die, I Want It To Be
At Home”</strong></p>
<p><b>Oct 25, 2020 at 07:47</b></p>
<p>In a verbal message carried by a lawyer of the
Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS), detainee <a
href="https://imemc.org/?s=al-Akhras" target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer">Maher al-Akhras</a>, who
began his hung strike three months ago, said he doesn’t
want to die at an Israeli clinic, but at home surrounded
by his loving family.</p>
<p>Al-Akhras told the PPS lawyer, Ahlam Haddad, that while
he is still being imprisoned, he wishes to see his
mother, wife, and children, and added that he does not
want to die at an Israeli clinic.</p>
<p>“If anybody is willing to help me, then try to secure
my transfer to a Palestinian hospital in the West Bank,”
he said, “If I am going to die, I want to be surrounded
by my family.”</p>
<p>“Please do not place my corpse in the morgue, do not
perform an autopsy, whether I die here or in the West
Bank,” he stated, “If I die, all I ask is for former
political prisoners, those who experienced the pain of
the hunger strike, to carry my corpse during my funeral,
and my message to my people is to always protect and
defend our homeland.”</p>
<p>His statements were made before Israel moved al-Akhras,
on Friday, from Kaplan Hospital to the infamous Ramla
prison clinic, despite his rapidly deteriorating health.</p>
<p>On Saturday, his family announced that Maher’s mother,
wife, and three eldest sons will start a hunger strike
after the Israelis denied them their right to visit
Maher Al Akhras when he was in his room at Kaplan
hospital.</p>
<p>The soldiers, stationed at the door of his room,
refused to allow his family to visit with him, and
ignored the cries and pleas of his little daughter. The
family was literally standing at the door leading to his
room.</p>
<p>The father of six was abducted by the soldiers from his
home in Jenin, in northern West Bank, and has since been
held under the arbitrary Administrative Detention
orders, without charges or trial.</p>
<p>He began the open-ended hunger strike in July demanding
to be released and declared that his strike would
continue until freedom or death.</p>
<p>It is worth mentioning that al-Akhras has been abducted
and imprisoned by Israel numerous times, including when
he was taken prisoner on July 27th, 2020, and was
instantly slapped with a four-month Administrative
Detention order, without charges or trial.</p>
<p>Before his current imprisonment, al-Akhras was spent
for over four years in prisons, including many months
under the arbitrary Administrative Detention orders.</p>
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