Agencies-Gaza post
50 Israeli doctors, 16 human rights orgs call for prisoner Al-Awawda’s release
Against the critical health of prisoner Khalil Awawda, who is on hunger strike, in the occupation prisons, for the 168th day in a row, more than 50 doctors, including Palestinians and Israelis, activists in the Physicians for Human Rights, signed an open letter calling on the occupation government to immediately release Alaawdah, and stop using the policy of administrative detentions.
In their letter, the doctors expressed their deep concern for Al-Awadeh’s safety, and Israel’s frequent use of administrative detentions, a method that forces people to go on prolonged hunger strikes as a last resort in the face of this rogue tool.
In addition, 16 Israeli human rights organizations issued a joint call for Israel to immediately release Al-Awawda and to stop its extensive use of administrative detentions.
The letter issued by the associations stated that Al-Awawda is one of the 671 Palestinians whom Israel is holding administratively, without trial, and in violation of international law.
According to the letter, Al-Awadeh’s life is in immediate danger, and his continued administrative detention for political reasons constitutes a serious violation of human rights.
The associations announced that the only way to save Al-Awadeh’s life was to immediately release him from administrative detention.
The military court of appeals had recently rejected Al-Awadeh’s appeal against his administrative detention, and approved the continuation of his administrative detention, despite the opinion of specialized doctors who stated that Al-Awawda’s life was in grave danger.
It is expected that in the coming days, Al-Awadeh will appeal the decision through his lawyer, Ahlam Haddad, before the Supreme Court.
At the end of last week, Al-Awawda was admitted to the Assaf Harofeh Hospital. She has done Dr. Lina Kassem Hassan, a volunteer family physician at Physicians for Human Rights, who is the director of its administrative body, visited Awawda.
Dr. wrote. Qassem Hassan in her assessment that Al-Awda’s condition is serious and that his life is in real danger. Al-Awadeh weighed 42 kilograms, suffers from massive nystagmus (twitching of the pupils), has problems seeing and speaking, and appears to have difficulties perceiving time and place.
According to Dr. Qassem, Awawda had suffered an injury in his cognitive ability, and its extent is not known, although it can be cured. Although the evaluation of Dr. Qassem Hassan was transferred to the Military Court of Appeals for consideration, but the judge ignored the assessment and agreed to continue the administrative detention.
Commenting on the rejection of Al-Awadeh’s appeal, Anat Litvin, director of the prisoners’ department at Physicians for Human Rights, said: “The judge continues to insist that there is no real danger to Al-Awawdeh’s life, while ignoring the opinions of three expert doctors from PHR.
An additional 55 specialist doctors signed a letter calling for his release due to his health condition, and he also ignored the point of view of the health facility of the Prisons Authority, who is a doctor and a state employee no less than the judge.
