RAMALLAH, March 20, 2012 – Contrary to earlier reports that Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike for 34 straight days Hana Shalabi was transferred to hospital following deterioration in her health, she was not admitted to hospital, three Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military judge of the Court of Appeals postponed Tuesday making a decision regarding Shalabi’s four-month administrative detention order following a meeting with her lawyers and the military prosecution.

In a joint statement, Addameer, Al-Haq and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel) said that “as of today, the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) is refusing to transfer Ms. Shalabi to the hospital, despite yesterday’s urgent reports by her doctor that she should be transferred immediately.”

It said that Shalabi was transferred to the civilian Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba, northern Israel, Monday night. However, it said, for unknown reasons, she was not admitted to the hospital and was transferred back to the IPS medical center in Ramleh Prison Hospital later on the same night.

The three organizations expressed “grave concern” for the health of Shalabi, “who is at immediate risk of death.”

They warned that the quality and facilitation of medical care administered by the IPS is not adequate to attend to her current condition.

A PHR-Israel doctor had visited Shalabi on Monday and concluded that she was in “immediate mortal danger” and should be immediately transferred to a hospital for close observation.

The statement quoted Shalabi as telling her PHR-Israel doctor that during her various transfers on Monday, she was handled violently, including being “dragged across the floor.”

M.S.