For immediate release
Press Release
Another Palestinian dies in Ber Sheva prison due to lack of medical care
Ref.,: 58/99
Date: 22nd May, 1999
On Monday 17th of May 1999 the detainee Shadi Saqr Abu Dahruj died in his cell in Ber Sheva prison. The late Abu Dahruj was 21 years old from the Gaza Strip/ Jabalya. He was arrested by the Israeli military forces in the area of Tulkarem in the Westbank where he worked for five months in a carpentry shop. He was held initially in the detention centre of “Ar´el” and afterwards he was transferred to the police station in “Beit Leid” and ended up in the Ber Sheva prison.
His family found out about his detention by one of his fellow prisoners who contacted them by telephone and informed them about his detention. According to the family he was supposed to have been brought in front of the Military Court on the 18th of May 1999.
His health deteriorated and one of his room mates asked the prisonguards to help him but they did not react. And due to the lack of medical care, the late Abu Dahruj died in his cell at 8 pm on the 17th of May.
His family was never able to visit him since the arrest and the ICRC was not able to locate him. According to his family, the late Abu Dahruj was suffering from heart problems before his arrest.
The PCHR are following the case and are convinced that there are strong reasons to believe that the death of Abu Dahruj was caused by the lack of medical care from the Israeli prison administration.
It is important to mention that in 1997 the late Riyad Edwan also died in the Ber Sheva prison due to the lack of medical care. And in 1998 Yousef al Ar´eer died in Ramla prison also due to lack of medical care.
The PCHR are now more convinced that the Israeli prison administration continue to deny proper medical care for the Palestinian detainees and prisoners in the Israeli prisons.
The PCHR demand an investigation of this death and ask the International Community and the human rights organizations to pressure the Israeli government and the Israeli prison administration to comit itself and act according to the International rules, especially related to the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel in dealing with prisoners in its prisons.
For More Information Contact:
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Tel/Fax: (+) 9727 2824776 / 2823725
E-mail: [email protected], Web page: www.pchrgaza.org
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