The Palestinian
Working Women’s Society for Development would like to express its extreme
concern regarding the fate of over 1500 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike
in Israeli prisons.
Two men, Bilal
Diyab and Tha’er Halahla, are currently in immediate danger of death following
their 73rd day of hunger strike against the Israeli government
practice of administrative detention. Under administrative detention, detainees
can be held by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) in Israeli prisons for 3 months
at a time without charge or trial, and with indefinite renewal of the detention
after 3 month periods.
On Monday the 7th
May the Israeli supreme court rejected appeals by the two men against their
administrative detention, citing a need for further review of secret evidence
held against them, as act described as a
‘death sentence’ by Physicians for Human Rights. Both men attended the hearing
in wheelchairs, being too weak to walk, while Mr. Diab was rushed out for
medical treatment after fainting in the courtroom. Despite their critical
conditions, and in spite of coming under prolonged pressure by the IPS to break
their strikes, both men have refused.
Since March 2012, more than 1500 prisoners have joined Bilal Diyab and Tha’er Halahla in hunger strikes throughout Israeli prisons, protesting increasing restrictions of family and lawyer visitations, the practice of prolonged solitary confinement and deteriorating and continued inhumane treatment by the IPS. 8 prisoners are now said to be in critical condition.
Following noted
silence by international bodies and media outlets regarding the status of the
Palestinian hunger strikers, Secretary General of the UN, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, on
the 10th of May issued a statement stressing “the importance of
averting any further deterioration of their [the strikers] condition”. He went
on to state that “those detained must be charged and face trial with judicial
guarantees, or released without delay”.
The Palestinian
Working Women’s Society for Development, as an organization committed to the
promotion of social justice and protection of human rights, condemns the
practice of administrative detention of Palestinian citizens. It calls for the
immediate charge or release of both Bilal Diyab and Tha’er Halahla, and for
other administrative detainees being held indefinitely without charge. The
PWWSD also condemns the practice of prolonged solitary confinement, and asks
that family members, particularly those of prisoners from Gaza, be allowed
visitation rights.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire