PCHR Calls upon the International Community to Pressurize Israel to Release Palestinian Detainee, Hana’ Shalabi, Who Has Been on Hunger Strike
Ref:
24/2012
The
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is concerned for the life of Hana’
Shalabi, a detainee in Israeli jails who has been on hunger strike for
approximately 2 weeks. PCHR calls upon the international community to
pressurize Israel to release Shalabi, who has been placed under administrative
detention, primarily for 6 renewable months, without trial.
On
16 February 2012, IOF raided the house of Hana’ Yehya Saber Shalabi, 30, in Burqin
village near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. IOF arrested Shalabi and transferred her to
Hasharon women’s prison. An order was
issued by IOF to place Shalabi under administrative detention for 6 months. Shalabi has been on hunger strike since the
first day of her detention. It should be
noted that Shalabi was released from Israeli jails in the recent prisoners swap
after serving two years in administrative detention.
According
to Fawwaz Shalloudi, a lawyer from the Palestinian Prisoner Club Society, who
visited Shalabi on Sunday, 26 February 2012, Shalabi was beaten, subjected to
maltreatment and subjected to a naked search during her arrest by the IOF. Shalloudi reported that the Israeli Prison
Service (IPS) placed Shalabi in solitary confinement.
Sherin
Iraqi, a lawyer from the Ministry of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners, visited
Shalabi in detention. Iraqi reported
that Shalabi’s health conditions are deteriorating and that she is in solitary
confinement and has not undergone any medical examinations since she has
started her hunger strike. She also
reported that Shalabi was beaten and subjected to maltreatment while IOF were
arresting her and that IPS has threatened to transfer Shalabi to the criminal
section in al-Ramla prison if she continues her hunger strike.
The
case of Shalabi reminds of the case of Khader Adnan who went on hunger strike
for 66 days starting from 17 December 2011 after an Israeli court had issued a
decision placing him under administrative detention for 4 months. Adnan stopped
his hunger strike on the 66th day in exchange for releasing him on
17 April 2012.
The
case of Shalabi highlights the conditions of more than 300 Palestinians who are
currently placed under administrative detention in Israeli prisons and
detention facilities, including the Speaker and 20 Members of the Palestinian
Legislative Council. These actions are
in violation of the right of a detainee to a fair trial, including the right to
receive appropriate defense and to be informed of charges against him.
Administrative detention is applied by an administrative order only without referring to a court, thus violating the standards
of impartial judicial procedures, including fair trial.
PCHR
is concerned for the life of Shalabi, who has been detained in Israeli jails,
and:
1. Calls upon the international community to pressurize Israel to
release Shalabi and to avoid risking her life;
2. Calls upon international human rights and solidarity
organizations to exert extensive efforts in order to compel the State of Israel
to stop the policy of administrative detention which violates the fundamental
right to a fair trial,
3. Refers with concern to the continued deterioration of living
conditions of over 5,000 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.