The suffering of Palestinian detainees in the occupation’s prisons continues, due to the efforts by occupation forces to renege on their commitment to halt inhumane practices against prisoners and restore conditions in the prisons to what they were prior to 2000.
Information indicates that there is a real danger to the lives of the detainees Samer Al Barq, Hasan As-Safadi, Ayman Ash-Shrawna, and Samer Al ‘Isawi, in view of the deterioration of their health due to an uninterrupted hunger strike over a very long period of time.
The available information indicates that the detainee Samer Helmi Abdel Lattef Al Barq (39 years old), a resident of Jaious village in Qalqelia, is continuing his hunger strike for the 108 consecutive day.
He was detained on 11 July 2012.
He started open hunger strike on 22 May 2012 when Israeli Prison Service (IPS) backtracked on agreement ending prisoners’ hunger strike that had been reached through Egyptian meditation on 14 May 2012 to end a mass hunger strike.
 On 21 May 2012, the occupation authorities renewed his administrative detention for a period of three months.
He is intent on his demand for immediate release because he is detained without any charge or trial.
  According to a lawyer with the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, a doctor from IPS handed over a medical report to the jury and Ofar judge asserting the critical health condition of Al Barq.
The lawyer added that the report was issued following an order from the Ofar judge to provide detailed medical report on Al Barq health condition on the court session dated on 4 September 2012.
According to the report, Al Barq has lost 20 kilograms of body mass, and suffers from sudden health deterioration that may cause sudden death.
The report added that Al Barq continuation in hunger strike may cause diseases that could not be treated.
He was referred to hospital three times.
On 29 August 2012, he was referred to Assaf Harofeh Hospital for two days.
He was discharged from hospital with recommendation to follow his health condition and keep him under medical observation.
    The prisoner Hasan Zahi As‘ad As-Safadi (34 years old), a resident of Nablus, is also continuing his hunger strike for the 22nd consecutive day.
  He was arrested from his home on 29 June 2011.
  After the prisoners’ agreement the occupation authorities renewed his administrative detention for the third time, on 21 June 2012, for a period of six months.
  He announced the resumption of his hunger strike on the same day, in protest against the occupation’s violation of the agreement which it signed with the prisoners’ committee on 14 May 2012, in accordance with which the administrative detainees who had embarked on the hunger strike were to be released.
  As-Safadi began his earlier strike, lasting for 27 days, in opposition to the policy of administrative detention and demanding his release.
  He was punished several times for his hunger strike, and moved to the clinic at Ar-Ramlah prison hospital on 27 June 2012 due to the deterioration in his state of health.
  He is still suffering the effects of his strike prior to the agreement between the prisoners and the occupation authorities.
Prisoner Aymn Ismail Ash-Sharawna, 36, a resident of Hebron, is continuing his hunger strike for the 66th consecutive day.
He was arrested on 28 June 2012 after he was being released in prisoners swap last year.
On 2 July 2012, he started his hunger strike in protest against his re-arrest and the poor condition of his arrest in Israeli prisons.
Prisoner Samer Tareq Al A’isawi, 33, a resident of Jerusalem, is continuing his hunger strike for 35th consecutive day.
 On 7 July 2012, the occupation authorities re-arrested him after he was being released in prisoners swap last year.
He has served 10 years of his 30 year imprisonment.
On 2 August 2012, he started his hunger strike in protest against his re-arrest, solidarity confinement, and prevention of family and lawyer visits.
   In a separate context, the prisoner Dirar Mousa Yousif Abu Sisi is suffering from poor health conditions in solitary confinement, to which he has been subject since his kidnapping from Ukraine at the hands of the Israeli Mossad on 19 February 2011.
  According to information relayed by his family, he has lost 40 kilograms of weight since his arrest due to the poor conditions of his detention.
 A lawyer from the Palestinian Prisoners’ Association noted during a recent visit to the solitary confinement wing at Ashkelon prison that Abu Sisi is suffering from poor health, and according to a report by the Association the prison doctor told him that there is no treatment for his condition.
  He is suffering from poor vision, particularly in the left eye, and also from sharp pains in his head which are preventing him from sleeping.
  Despite his health condition, the prison doctor is not concerned at all, and given the circumstances the prisoner Abu Sisi maintains that this ongoing negligence is deliberate.
  The prisoner underwent medical tests some years ago finding problems in his retina, yet the prison administration refuses to present him to an eye specialist, indicating the poor treatment to which he is being subjected.
According to the information available to Al Mezan, the suffering of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons continues, despite the most recent announcement, on 14 May 2012, that an agreement had been reached through Egyptian mediation under which the strike undertaken by prisoners from 17 April 2012 was ended.
 The prisoners’ demands were an end to the policy of solitary confinement, annulment of what was known as the “Shalit Law,” return of prison conditions to those prevailing before the Al Aqsa Intifada, legal reform of the policy of administrative detention, and provision of appropriate medical care to sick prisoners.
  But the Israel Prison Service is attempting to sidestep this agreement, and has yet to commit to its official implementation.
The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights expresses its concern for the detainees’ health and lives and its solidarity with Palestinian and Arab detainees in Israeli prisons, and holds the Israeli authorities responsible for their well-being.
  Al Mezan strongly condemns Israel’s gross abuses of Palestinian detainees, starting with the Unlawful Combatant Law, the policy of administrative detention, and other procedures that violate detainees’ rights, including solitary confinement, medical negligence, barring of family visitation, and other practices.
Al Mezan also calls on the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, to exert pressure on Israel to uphold its legal obligations under international law and its duties to respect detainees’ rights, including freedom from torture and ill-treatment, and to provide for detainees’ needs, including health care and the right to family visitation and correspondence and communication.
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