Political detainee Khalil Nabil al-Sawalhi has been on hunger strike for several days, protesting his continued detention by the Palestinian Authority’s security services.
Al-Sawalhi’s case sheds light on the conditions faced by political detainees, who endure harsh detention practices and deprivation of basic freedoms, in violation of international law and human rights standards.
He is undertaking his second hunger strike, rejecting his ongoing detention for ten months without a fair trial. Despite a deterioration in his health, al-Sawalhi remains determined to continue his strike until his release, placing the authorities under direct responsibility for his safety and life.
Testimonies from former detainees reveal that they were subjected to brutal methods of torture inside prisons, including beatings and deprivation of basic necessities, turning detention centres into environments that violate the most fundamental human rights. These practices extend to the arrest of students, former prisoners, and children on the basis of freedom of expression or political activity, in clear contradiction to the Palestinians’ international obligations under human rights conventions.
Prolonged detention without trial constitutes a grave violation of international human rights law, including Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees protection from arbitrary arrest, and Article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits cruel or violent treatment of children.
The denial of medical care to detainees during hunger strikes also constitutes a breach of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners set out in international treaties.
Al-Sawalhi’s case underscores the urgent need to hold those responsible for violations to account, to release political detainees, and to ensure a safe and healthy environment within places of detention, which are essential measures to protecting human rights and strengthening the rule of law in the Palestinian territories.
