March 5, 2012

Amnesty International has expressed concern over the worsening health of Hana al-Shalabi, a Palestinian woman who has been on hunger strike since 16 February against her detention without charge or trial by Israeli occupation authorities.

Al-Shalabi, 29, has vowed to continue her hunger strike despite an Israeli military court shortening the period of her "administrative detention" by two months.

Currently detained at Hasharon prison, she previously spent more than two years in detention without charge or trial and was released in October 2011 as part of the Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange.

In a 2 March release and action alert, Amnesty expressed concern that the Israel Prison Service had not responded to a request by al-Shalabi’s lawyers "to transfer Hana Shalabi to the Ramleh prison hospital where she could receive medical treatment, and to allow the medical NGO Physicians for Human Rights-Israel access to Hana."

It also noted that:

According to her lawyer and prisoners’ rights organization Addameer, Hana Shalabi has been kept in solitary confinement for most of the time from 16 February until 27 February, when the Israeli Prison Services (IPS) transferred her to a cell with other detainees. Hana Shalabi’s family have not been allowed to visit her since she was arrested. They are currently waiting for permission to do so from the Israeli authorities.

Al-Shalabi’s parents, in the West Bank village of Burqin, have also been on an open-ended hunger strike in solidarity with their daughter.

Amnesty International’s action alert calls on people to contact Israeli authorities directly to release al-Shalabi and all administrative detainees immediately "unless they are promptly charged with internationally recognizable criminal offences and brought to trial in full conformity with international fair trial standards," and to ensure humane treatment including regular access to doctors, lawyers and family.

Administrative detention "reduced"

Al-Shalabi has told lawyers that she will maintain her hunger strike despite an Israeli military court reducing her administrative detention period from six months to four months. Ma’an News Agency reported:

Hana Shalabi said Sunday that she will continue her hunger strike despite an announcement by Israel’s Ofer military court that her prison time will be reduced by two months.

Lawyer Fadi Qawasmi visited Shalabi at Hasharon prison and informed her of the court’s decision on Sunday to reduce her imprisonment time by two months.

Shalabi told him that she would continue her hunger strike protest in order to achieve her demands to end administrative detention.

She has been on hunger strike for 18 days and her condition is said to have worsened recently.

The report added that the Israeli military court refused to allow al-Shalabi’s lawyer to call any witnesses.

Hunger striker hospitalized

Meanwhile, another prisoner from Gaza who has refused food for more than 13 days in solidarity with al-Shalabi was reportedly hospitalized. [According to Ma’an]:(http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=464660):

A prisoner on hunger strike in solidarity with Hana Shalabi has been transferred to hospital after he was released from jail, a detainees center said Friday.

Suheil Akram Al-Masri, 26, has refused food for 13 days to support the female detainee. Shalabi started a hunger strike 16 days ago to protest her administrative detention, after she was re-arrested having been freed by Israel in an earlier prisoner swap deal.

Al-Masri was transferred to hospital after fainting on his arrival home to Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday night. His parents said they had expected his release from Israeli prison on April 20, after his four year term completed.

From hospital, Al-Masri vowed to continue his hunger strike until Shalabi is released.

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