The Occupation Abuse the Rights of The Hunger Striking Prisoners And Ignore Their Legitimate Demands
Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) stated that the life of the Palestinian prisoner “Maher Al-Akhras”, is in serious danger and as he faces death in the Israeli “Kaplan” Hospital following entering an open hunger strike for the 86th consecutive day objecting his administrative detention, and his health condition has reached a deteriorating stage.
AOHR UK stated that Maher Al-Akhras, 49, has entered into an open hunger strike since his administrative detention last July without charges or trial until now. A decision for his detention for four mronths was issued, during which he began an open hunger strike and was transferred to different prisons, the last of which is the Israeli Kaplan Hospital where he has been detained since last September.
AOHR UK added that 30 Palestinian prisoners inside the Israeli Ofer prison announced going into a hunger strike on Monday, October 12, in solidarity with the prisoner Maher Al-Akhras, and to impose pressure on the occupation authorities to improve their detention conditions and put an end to the policies of administrative detention and solitary confinement.
The occupation authorities did not respond to the prisoners ’demands, instead it escalated the violations against them. The Israeli Prison Authority transferred 32 prisoners in Ofer prison to empty cells after stripping them of all their basic needs. In a challenging manner against the prisoners and the human rights appeals, the Prisons Authority threatened the detainees that it would take serious measures against the striking prisoners, AOHR UK added.
AOHR UK emphasised that the administrative detention is a grave violation, illegal and arbitrary measure, which is used by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) to arrest Palestinian civilians with no charge and no trial, using arrest warrants of up to six months of detention, renewable with no limit. These decisions are based on charges that neither the detainee nor his lawyers have the right to see, which represents a serious violation of individual freedom and the right of the individual to enjoy a fair trial.
AOHR UK called on the United Nations Secretary-General and the countries adopting the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War to fully implement the provisions of the Convention on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially with regard to the Palestinian prisoners.
AOHR UK called on international community to amount the pressure on Israel to release the hunger striking prisoners, particularly prisoner Maher Al-Akhras, and all administrative detainees in the Israeli prisons.
