Three Egyptian Detainees Declare Hunger-Strike

Sunday April 08, 2012 04:02 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) reported Saturday that three Egyptian political prisoners, held by Israel at the Nafha prison, declared an open-ended hunger-strike demanding their release.

The PPS identified the three as Fawzi Sawarka, Freih Brekat (sentenced to 10 years), and Mohammad As-Sayyid (sentenced to 13 years).

The three Egyptian political prisoners said that they will continue their hunger-strike until Israel releases them, and called on the Egyptian Authorities to ensure their release and the release of all Egyptian political prisoners held by Israel.

On April 4, Head of the Legal Unit at the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS), Jawad Boulos, stated that Palestinian detainee Omar Abu Shallal, 55, was moved to Ar-Ramla Prison Hospital, after being on hunger-strike for 28 days protesting his illegal administrative detention.

Earlier this month, Israel released female detainee Hana’ Ash-Shalabi but conditioned her release by exiling her to the Gaza Strip instead allowing her back home with her family in Borqeen village, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

She conducted a 43-day hunger-strike demanding her release, and reached a near-death condition; Shalabi was protesting her illegal arrest and detention especially since Israel never brought charges against her.

On Tuesday, February 21, Political detainee Khader Adnan agreed to end his 66-day hunger strike after Israeli pledged to release him in April (this month). He reached a near-death condition, facing possible organ failure.

Adnan’s 66-day hunger strike is the longest one conducted by a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli prisons; he began his hunger strike upon his abduction by Israeli troops on December 18th, to protest the fact that he was being held without charges under the so-called ‘administrative detention’.

arab world | prisoners | news report saed at imemc dot org