KHADER ADNAN CONTINUES HUNGER STRIKE DESPITE HEALTH DECLINE

Jenin, 12 Shaban 1436/30 May 2015 (MINA) – Palestinian political prisoner Khader Adnan, 37, entered his 25th day on a hunger strike Friday protesting his ongoing administrative detention in Israeli prison.

Adnan is currently unable to move or stand up and is refusing medical testing, says director of the Palestine Prisoner’s Center for Studies Rafat Hamduna, Ma’an News Agency reports as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

In an open letter released earlier this month, Adnan wrote that the goal of his strike is to resist Israel and prevent it from tarnishing the achievement of prisoners who secured their freedom by going on hunger strikes in the past, only to be rearrested by military forces.

Adnan was detained on July 8, 2014 and sentenced to administrative detention for the 10th time in his life.

The arrest came in spite of Adnan’s 66-day hunger strike in an Israeli prison in 2012 that inspired hundreds of prisoners to take on Israel’s policy of holding detainees without charge.

Hamduna added that the Israeli Prison Service continues to pressure Adnan to end his strike, and warned of his declining health.

He demanded international institutions and rights groups to pressure Israel to save Adnan’s life by putting pressure on Israeli authorities to respond to his latest battle against the administrative detention policy.

Palestinians held in administrative detention can be held without charge or trial for months and are denied access to the evidence that led to their detention, even though international law stipulates this tactic only be used in exceptional circumstances.

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Center for Studies reported a significant increase in administrative detention orders in the first three months of 2015 over the same period the previous year. (T/P010/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)