Ramallah, 28 June 2012 – Three Palestinian political prisoners remain on hunger strike in Israeli detention. Addameer lawyer Mona Neddaf visited administrative detainee Samer Al-Barq in Ramleh prison medical clinic on 25 June. Samer is currently on his 38th day of hunger strike and his health is deteriorating.
After launching his hunger strike on 15 April in protest of his ongoing administrative detention since November 2010, Samer ended his 30-day fast upon the conclusion of Palestinian prisoner’s mass hunger strike on 14 May under the agreement that renewals of administrative detention orders would be restricted. One week later, on 22 May, Samer’s administrative detention order was renewed for an additional three months. He immediately re-launched his hunger strike and told Ms. Neddaf that he will not break his hunger strike until there is an agreement reached for his release.
Due to the length of his hunger strike since April, with only one week in which he was receiving nourishment, Samer’s condition is now worsening. He has a very low heart rate and prison doctors have warned against possible ramifications of the hunger strike on his brain. He is currently drinking only water with glucose.
Ms. Neddaf also met with Mahmoud Sarsak, who ended his historic 92-day hunger strike on 18 June and is due to be released on 10 July. Though he still has a long road to recovery ahead and suffers from feelings of dizziness when he wakes up each morning, his health is improving. He now weighs approximately 58 kilos. Though he has been transferred regularly for check-ups to Assaf Harofeh hospital, he is currently still detained in Ramleh prison medical clinic.
Meanwhile, ill prisoner Akram Rikhawi has entered his 78th day of hunger strike and still faces an imminent threat to his life. Independent doctors from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel continue to be denied access to him.
Administrative detainee Hassan Safadi is also now on his 8th day of renewed hunger strike, after his administrative detention order was renewed on 21 June, despite agreement by Israel that he would be released upon the expiration of his current order.