Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, who has been arrested 14 times and spent more than 8 years in Israeli prisons, died today after an 87-day hunger strike – his 5th – in protest of his illegal administrative detention by Israel. Israel refused to allow his family to visit him even as his condition deteriorated. He was one of about 600 Palestinians held without charge or trial.
reposted from IMEMC, the International Middle East Media Center, May 2, 2023
Today in the morning, the death of the detainee Khader Adnan, who has been on a 87-day- hunger strike in protest against his administrative detention by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), was announced. At dawn, Adnan was found unconscious in his cell before his death was later declared after transferring him to the hospital.
Earlier, the Israeli authorities claimed that Adnan refused to undergo medical examinations and receive medical treatment, and today in the morning, he was found unconscious in his cell, and an attempt was made to save his life before he was transferred to Assaf Harofeh Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) holds the Israeli authorities fully responsible for the death of the Palestinian detainee, Khader Adnan, and calls on the international community to conduct an immediate and independent investigation into his death circumstances, including the Israeli authorities’ insistence on refusing to release him despite the serious deterioration of his health condition.
“ IOF are well aware of his health condition, especially that he had a long series of hunger strikes in protest against his administrative detention and he needs adequate healthcare. However, after almost three months of being on an open hunger strike, he was still being held in cell without healthcare. Leaving him in these tragic circumstances is immoral, inhumane and illegal, and constitutes a decision to execute him premeditatedly. We call on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate his death immediately and hold the Israeli officials accountable for this crime. “, Lawyer Raji Sourani, PCHR’s Director.
Khader Adnan Mohammed Mousa (45) began his hunger strike in protest against his administration detention after he was arrested from his house in Arraba village, west of Jenin on 05 February 2023.
The Israeli occupation authorities did not respond to Adnan’s demands and also refused to allow family visits despite the deterioration of his health condition. Only Adnan’s wife managed to see him through the video conference during his court sessions, last of which was a day before he died.
The Ofer Military Court refused to respond to the request to release Khader Adnan, who appeared via the video conference from his place of detention before the court.
He appeared extremely exhausted, and he said that he is dying and suffering from partial memory loss, according to his wife, who attended the court session. Adnan’s wife confirmed that IOF refused to transfer her husband to a civilian hospital and held him at al-Ramla Hospital under inadequate conditions despite the serious deterioration of his health condition and losing consciousness several times.
[Editor’s note: It appears that the New York Times did not report on Adnan’s 12-week-long hunger strike until he died. This lack of coverage is typical of Adnan’s previous hunger strikes. One of the goals of hunger strikes is to alert the world to injustice and thus alleviate it. When major media ignore them, they help perpetrate the injustice. Since U.S. politicians expend $20 million per day of Americans’ tax money on behalf of Israel, it is particularly important for Americans to be fully informed on Israeli actions.]
It is worth noting that Khader Adnan went on five open hunger strikes in protest against his administrative detention before, and he was released every time after a deterioration in his health condition. Then, IOF arrest him again. In total, ‘Adnan was arrested 14 times and served more than 8 years in Israeli prisons.
It should be noted that so far in 2023, Adnan is the second detainee to have died in the Israeli prisons this year after Ahmed Abu ‘Ali (48), who was imprisoned at Negev prison and died due to the deterioration of his health condition when he was transferred to Soroka Medical Center on 10 February 2023.
The death of the detainee, Khader Adnan, sheds light on the general deterioration in the conditions of more than 4900 Palestinian detainees in the Israeli prisons, including dozens of sick detainees. Also, Adnan’s death highlights the suffering of about 600 administrative detainees who are held without charge or trial in flagrant violation of their right to a fair trial, including their right to receive adequate defense and to know their charges.
The administrative detention violation of the detainees’ right to a fair trial comes from the nature of the administrative detention, which is issued upon an administrative order and without any judicial decision in a manner that jeopardizes the impartial judicial proceedings, including the fair trial proceedings.
PCHR holds the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the death of Khader Adnan and for the lives of hundreds of detainees, who may face the same fate, if the policy of deliberate medical negligence continues, as they are held in unhealthy conditions and are not receiving adequate healthcare. Thus, PCHR:
- Calls for an immediate investigation into the death circumstances of Khader Adnan, including the Israeli authorities’ insistence on refusing to release him despite the serious deterioration of his health condition.
- Urges the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to effectively follow-up the conditions of Palestinian detainees at the Israeli Prisons and their detention conditions.
- Calls upon the international community to compel Israel to respect the international law and international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention, and to abide by the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
- Calls on the international community to intervene immediately to put an end to the administrative detention policy and its arbitrary and illegal use by Israel against Palestinian detainees.
- Calls upon the ICC prosecutor and the UN Commission of Inquiry to conduct an immediate investigation into Adnan Khader’s death.
FURTHER READING ON PALESTINIAN HUNGER STRIKERS:
- Why were these Palestinian prisoners willing to die of starvation?
- Palestinian hunger strikes: growing resistance against growing Israeli crimes
- Palestinian prisoner reaches deal with Israel to end his detention, concludes hunger strike
- Palestinian on hunger strike in Israeli jail ‘on verge of death’
- AP and Amnesty International: Are you just waiting for him to die?
FURTHER READING ON ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION:
- American senior citizen from Ohio held by Israel since 2021
- For Over a Year, Israel Has Jailed a Palestinian Teen With a Rare Disease. There’s No Trial in Sight
- Israel is Afraid of Khalida Jarrar
- Israel Police Prevented Palestinian Detainee from Breastfeeding Her Baby
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