Former Palestinian detainee, Rami Kamal Shalamish, age 33, from the Jenin-area town of Birqin, died on Saturday, the prisoners’ committee said.Head of the Prisoners and Former Prisoners’ Affairs Committee, Issa Qaraqe, held Israel and the Israeli prisons services responsible for the death, citing Shalamish’s death a result of medical negligence by Israel against Palestinian prisoners.
According to Ma’an News Agency, Qaraqe called upon the international community, the UN’s Security Council, and the World Health Organization to form a committee for an investigation into the conditions leading to Shalamish’s death, as well as those faced by ill prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Shalamish was released in 2006 in critical condition from complications related multiple sclerosis after being given the wrong medications, the committee added.
Shalamish’s death comes a month after the death of former prisoner Jaafar Awad, 22, who died shortly after being released due to pre-existing health complications that rapidly deteriorated while being held in Israeli jails.
Palestinian factions condemned Awad’s death and accused Israeli Prison Service’s of carrying out ‘dangerous policies’ in attempt to dispirit prisoners, and held Israel responsible.
Awad was reportedly given incorrect dosages in insulin shots and was released from Eshel prison after 14 months. At the time of release, Awad suffered from pneumonia, heart problems, and thyroid and pancreas complications, Qaraqe told Ma’an at the time.
Director of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society in Hebron, Amjad al-Najjar, said that the number of prisoners ‘killed by Israel’ had hit 209 at the time of Awad’s death, pointing out that Awad ‘is not and will not be the last one killed’ by the policies of ‘medical neglect’ carried out by the Israeli authorities against prisoners.
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