Al Mezan Expresses its Concern for the Life of Detainee Hasan As-Safadi after the Renewal of His Administrative Detention, Calls on International Community to Intervene to Oblige the Occupation State to Respect Principles of Justice

10 September 2012

In the evening hours on Sunday 9 September 2012, Ofer military court renewed administrative detention of detainee Hasan As-Safadi (34 years old), a resident of Nablus, regardless his deteriorated health condition due to his long hunger strike.
According to the information available to the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Hasan Zahi As‘ad As-Safadi (34 years old), a resident of Nablus, is continuing his hunger strike for the 82nd  consecutive day.
  He was arrested from his home on 29 June 2011.
  On 21 June 2012, the occupation authorities renewed his administrative detention for the third time 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-Ramleh 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.
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.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights expresses its concern for the renewal of administrative detention of Hasan As-Safadi and the detainees’ health and lives, particularly Samer Helmi Al Barq, (39 years old), a resident of Jaious village in Qalqelia, is continuing his hunger strike for the 111 consecutive day.
Al Mezan expresses 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 demands that the international community - especially the signatory parties to the Geneva Conventions - put pressure on the occupation state and force it to respect its obligations under international law, and to treat detainees humanely in keeping with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners issued in 1955, and other relevant international standards.
  There must also be steps taken towards guarantee of the release of all Palestinian prisoners, especially those thrown in prison without charge or fair trial, including appeal to all means of defense.
End