Israel Refusing To Release Information About Health Condition Of Hunger Striking Detainee

20 Apr

6:13 PM

The Israeli Authorities are refusing to release information about the health condition of a Palestinian detainee, who went on hunger strike 25 days ago, and are constantly transferring him, the Palestinian Detainees’ Committee has reported.

The committee said that the detainee, Khaled Jamal Farraj, 23, from Deheishe refugee camp, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, went on hunger strike to protest his continued arbitrary Administrative Detention, without charges or trial.

His mother, Mona Farraj, said that the condition of her imprisoned son is currently unknown, but the last thing his family knew is that he suffered a serious deterioration in his health condition.

She added that her son, held in the Negev Desert Detention Camp, was forced in solitary confinement, last Wednesday, and that two detainees, who were transferred to Ofer prison to the Negev, told a lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) that they saw him being transferred through Ramla Crossing, either to a hospital or to court.

One of the detainees said that he managed to briefly talk to Farraj, who appeared to be very weak, in a poor health condition after dangerously losing weight, in addition to suffering from severe pain in the abdomen and joints, and a constant headache.

Farraj told him that he has issues with his kidneys, and that his body is now not accepting salt and water, in addition to constantly feeling dizzy and throwing up.

Monqith Abu Atwan, the head of the Palestinian Detainees Committee in Bethlehem, said that the “Israeli Prison Service” always keeps transferring hunger striking detainees from one prison to another, to pressure them into ending their strike by keeping them unable to rest or even sleep properly.

On his part, the head of the Legal Department of Ad-Dameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Mohannad al-‘Azza, said that the associations’ lawyer, Mahmoud Hassan, has filed an appeal with the Israeli High Court, asking for information about the detainee, and for providing him with the needed medical attention.

He added that Ad-Dameer also contacted Physicians For Human Rights – Israel and added that PHR will file an application with the Israeli Prison Service, asking to be allowed to visit with the striking detainee to check on his health.

It is worth mentioning that five other detainees, identified as Husam ar-Rozza, Mohammad Tabanja, Hasan al-‘Oweiwi, Odah al-Hroub and Ayman Tbeish, are ongoing with the hunger strike, protesting their Administrative Detention.