Addameer’s lawyer visit Hiba Al-Labady Detainee on a Hunger Strike

Addameer’s lawyer Samer Simaan was finally given permission to visit the hunger striking detainee Hiba Al-Labady on Thursday, 3 October 2019. Hiba Al-Labady is in her 14th day of hunger strike and is being held in isolation in Jalameh Prison.

 

Hiba confirmed that she was subjected to continuous interrogations for seventeen hours at a time for the first 16 days of her arrest. The interrogations spanned from 9 AM in the morning until 2AM the following day. For the first 25 days of her arrest, she was denied from any lawyers visit or consultation.

 

Hiba has spent nearly one month in the Petah Tikva interrogation center, where she was physically and psychologically tortured by the Occupation’s authorities.

 

After 32 days of interrogation, Hiba was transferred to Damon Prison. Nine days after her transfer to Damon, the Occupation’s authorities issued a six-month administrative detention order against her, prompting her to announce a hunger strike in the same day.

 

After Hiba announced her hunger strike, she was transferred to isolation in Jalameh Prison, where she reports being abused and harassed by the prison guards attempting to make her end her hunger strike. Hiba is subjected to being searched every two hours, including throughout the night and often by soldiers. Hiba’s isolation cell is filthy and has surveillance cameras. The designated area for bathing is completely exposed and therefore, she has not been able to shower since arriving to Jalameh Prison. Additionally, there is no window in the isolation cell, and in its place is an air conditioning unit meant to keep the cell cold. There is nothing in the isolation cell except for one dirty sheet. Hiba is not allowed any yard time.

 

Hiba confirmed that she refused any medical examination until 1 October 2019 and has had only one examination since. She confirmed that she is not taking any vitamins, nutritional supplements or salt, and she is content with only drinking water. She has lost eight kilograms since starting her hunger strike.

 

Addameer notes that there are six administrative detainees currently on hunger strike in protest of their arbitrary detention. Addameer holds the Occupation’s authorities fully responsible for the lives of detainee Hiba Al-Labady and all of the hunger strikers. Further, Addameer stresses that the Occupation’s systematic and widespread use of administrative detention against Palestinians violates all applicable international conventions and covenants, and may amount to a war crime.