Imprisoned Palestinian leader demands UN protection

The Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [PFLP], Ahmad Saadat, has demanded a proposal be summited for the international protection of prisoners before the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, according to a message released on the PFLP's website on Wednesday.

During his meeting with Palestinian lawyer Fadi Obeidat, who specialises in Palestinian prisoners’ affairs, Saadat said: “Prisoners are subjected to a series of political procedures that violate international law and the principles of global peace, as well as the UN Charter. There should be international intervention to protect the prisoners and their rights, as well as to force Israel to comply with international laws.”

He added that prisoners are subjected to harsh punishment following Israeli political orders, such as banning visits, withholding medical treatment, solitary confinement, deprivation of education, and other arbitrary measures, along with comprehensive and collective punishments.

“The Israeli government treats prisoners as criminals with no human or legal rights”, he said.

The Israeli government treats prisoners as criminals with no human or legal rights -Ahmad Saadat

In addition, Saadat said that any plans to protect prisoners must be based on their status as prisoners who fought for the freedom and independence of their country. They should also take into consideration that the four Geneva Accords oblige Israel to respect their rights as prisoners protected by such agreements.

Saadat also said he was deprived of family’s visits for more than two years, and the visit-ban was renewed recently for three months, becoming a usual arbitrary measure.

The latest court session gave Israeli Intelligence 45 days to explain the reasons behind Saadat’s visit-ban before taking the necessary measures to address the problem.

Hunger strikes

The Palestine Prisoners Club said on Wednesday the health of a Palestinian prisoner has severely deteriorated after he has been on hunger strike for 35 days in protest of his administrative detention.

The organization said Uday Isteiti, from the West Bank city of Jenin, who is currently being held in the Israeli Ella prison is suffering from extreme weight loss and pain throughout his body.

Isteiti has refrained from being force fed and undergoing medical exams. He has only drunk water despite prison authorities, trying to pressure him into ending his hunger strike.

Another Palestinian prisoner, Mohammad Allan, has also been on hunger strike for 35 days as well as Abdallah Abu Jabir who has been on hunger strike for four days in protest of his family not being allowed to visit him in prison.

On Thursday, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian doctor during a raid on a house near Hebron, a day after killing a young Palestinian in the occupied West Bank.