Chief of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Qaraqe said, today, that the health of prisoner Khader Adnan had become increasingly bad after he reached the 35th day in his hunger strike protesting his administrative detention orders.After Adnan’s hunger strike entered its 2nd month, said Qaraqe, his condition became critical and he began experiencing intermittent comas, a sharp decrease in his weight and a drop in his heart rate.
In a statement made to the PNN, Qaraqe held the Israeli government responsible for the life and health of Khader Adnan, and demanded that they end his administrative detention, which violates international law and goes against human rights.
Qaraqe noted that prisoners around the world do not spend more than 10 years in jail without trial, but that Israel’s policy of administrative detention singled it out as memorable in its violations of prisoners’ rights.
He said that Israel has administratively detained thousands of Palestinians over the years for periods ranging from several months to several years. The highest number of administrative detainees was during the first Intifada in 1989, when the number reached 2,000 prisoners.
During the second Intifada and in April 2002, the number of detainees under administrative detention orders decreased gradually until 2014, when Israel stepped up its administrative arrests. The number of detainees under these orders now totals 480.
According to Qaraqe, 23,000 administrative detention orders were issued against Palestinians since 2000.
Qaraqe’s statement came during his visit to the prisoner Bajes Thekhla, held in Jalazoneprison, who spent 10 years in administrative detention out of a total 17 years in prison.
The administrative detention order violates the rights of prisoners. It allows Israel to hold Palestinians in jail without trial or charges. The orders can be renewed an indefinite number of times.
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