25/5/2017 Ramallah/ Palestine
The Media Committee of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners' society, present the summary of the 38th day of the collective hunger strike, which was embarked by the prisoners' movement in the Israeli jails, under the title of "Freedom and Dignity strike" since 17th April, 2017.
-Detainees carry on the battle of freedom and dignity in the Israeli jails, in request for their basic demands which are denied by the prisons' administration, and which was achieved previously through embarking many hunger strikes. The most prominent demands include: ending the policy of administrative detention, ending the policy of solitary confinement, ending the policy of banning families' and lawyers' visits, ending the policy of
medical negligence and other legitimate demands.
-On the 38th day of the strike, striking detainees suffer from weight loss, difficulty in movement, fainting, and severe pains in the articulations and kidneys. It is worth mentioning that some of them are sick and have various illnesses.
-The prisons' administration transfers dozens of striking detainees to civilian hospitals after entering a critical stage, where 20 striking detainees were transferred from Hadarim prison and 60 from Ohilikdar prison.
-The Media Committee of the strike confirmed that the prisons' administration blackouts all information related to transferring detainees to civilian hospitals and their health conditions.
-Since 38 days, striking detainees are wearing the brown uniform of the Israeli Prison Service, and they only have dirty blankets.
-In a visit to the striking detainee Muhammad Al-Ghoul, he said that "insects such as bugs spread in their cells, and that since the sixteenth day of the strike they were unable to change their underwear.
-The occupation prisons' administration continues the systematic transferring of detainees between prisons via the "Bosta" vehicle (an iron wagon where detainees are kept handcuffed). In return, striking detainees send
messages confirming that they will achieve victory by achieving their demands.
-A lawyer from Al-Dameer Institution was able to visit many striking detainees at many prisons such as Ishel, Hadarim and Ayla prison, where she met the striking detainees; Hussam Shahin, Murad Abu-sakout, Dergham Al-Araj, Muhammad Abu-sakha and Amjad Abu Lateefa. They told her about the procedures carried out against them, and the attempts of forcing them to end the strike.
The striking detainee Muhammad Abu-sakha at Ishel prison said that "the health condition of detainees is very bad, where their bodies are exhausted and suffer from reoccurring fainting. In return, jailers procrastinate in moving them to clinics as a means of pressure to end the strike.
-Activities and events in support for the strike continue, where popular conferences will be held today in all cities in solidarity with the striking detainees. Gathering will be at sit-in tents at 11:00 am, where the activity begins at 12:00.
