Ref: 51/2015
Date: 10 August 2015
Time: 09:10 GMT
On Monday morning, 09 August 2015, Israeli authorities transferred Mohammed ‘Alaan, who has been on hunger strike for 58 days against being held under administrative detention, to “Berzelay” hospital in a prelude to forcibly feed him. PCHR emphasizes that the force-feeding is a form of torture, degrading treatment according the international law. PCHR also express its concern over the risks that will result following the Israeli prison authorities’ decision to forcibly feed ‘Allan. PCHR calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to save the life of ‘Allan and stop the force-feeding, which Israeli authorities plans to do in the coming hours.
Benyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, issued a decision to establish a unit in the Israeli “Soroka” Hospital to deal with the detainees on hunger strike and forcibly feed them. Netanyahu’s decision came to circumvent the Israeli Doctors Syndicate’s rejection to force-feeding measure, which raises questions about the nature and reputation of the doctors who will be appointed in this unit.
The Israeli Prison Service’sdecision is considered the first of its kind following the Israeli Knesset’s approval on 30July 2015in the second and third reading of the amendment to the so-called “Law to Prevent Harm of Hunger Strike”, which PCHR previously warned of its consequences at that time and demanded its immediate annulment. Many international bodieshave also warned of the adoption of such law, which the United Nations Special Rapporteur against Tortureconsidered as a means of torture, and the Special Rapporteur on the right to health considered it as a serious violation.
Lawyer, Mohammed Naser al-Deen ‘Allan (31), an administrative detainee from ‘Einabous village south of Nablus, has been on hunger strike since 17 June 2015 in protest against renewing his administrative detention for the second time as he has been held under detention since 06 November 2014. Since he declared his hunger strike, Israeli authorities have isolated him and placed him in a poorly ventilatedsolitary confinement cell. He was also transferred to more than one prison and has been denied family and lawyer visitation. On the 26th day of his strike, ‘Allan decided to drink only one glass of water a day as an escalatory measure to improve his confinement conditions.
According to human rights organizations, ‘Allan has recently been held in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at “Soroka” Hospital in Beersheba in Israel with his hand and leg tightened to the bed. The same sources also said that his health condition is deteriorating as he suffers slimness and he lost so much weight in addition to not being able to talk or opening his eyes.
The sources also emphasized that ‘Allan still refuses to take vitamins and minerals or undergo medical tests.
In the same context, around 180 detainees in the Israeli prisons has been on an open hunger strike for a week in protest against the bad detention conditions and repressive measures taken by the Israeli Prison Service against them in a number of prisons and detention facilities. Around 120 detainees in Negev prison declared their hunger strike, and dozens of detainees in Rimon and Negev prisons joined them while -according to human rights organizations- other detainees in the rest detention facilities are expected to join the hunger strike.
PCHR expresses its concern for he life of the administrative detainee on hunger strike in the Israeli prisons, Mohammed ‘Allan, and:
