JERUSALEM, Monday, October 12, 2020 (WAFA) – Palestinian hunger striker, Maher al-Akhras, who has been on a 78-day long fast protesting his administrative detention, today rejected a deal from the Israeli High Court that recommends his release from prison in return for ending his hunger strike. At the same time, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called for his immediate release following the serious deterioration in his health.
Shtayyeh said at the start of the weekly Palestinian cabinet meeting held in Ramallah that he holds the Israeli government fully responsible for the life of al-Akhras, urging international pressure on Israel to release him and to end its illegal administrative detention policy against Palestinian activists, who currently number 350 held in Israeli jails without charge or trial and based on secret evidence.
Al-Akhras rejected the Israeli High Court deal after only recommending his release by November 26 instead of ruling in favor of his release as requested by his lawyer in the petition submitted to the Court and was rejected today.
As a result, and according to his lawyer, al-Akhras decided to continue with his hunger strike until there is a definite and clear position from the High Court or the Israeli occupation authorities setting a specific date for his release and not only a recommendation.
According to prisoners’ advocacy groups, this is the second time in few weeks the Israeli High Court plays with words in deciding the fate of al-Akhras after calling on September 23 for “freezing” the administrative detention order, and now only “recommending” an end to it.
Al-Akhras, 49, from the northern West Bank district of Jenin, started his hunger strike immediately after his detention from his home on July 27 after which he was slammed with a four-month administrative detention order that is supposed to end on November 26 but could be renewed for an indefinite number of times.
Advocacy groups and his family say that al-Akhras is currently kept at an Israeli hospital following a serious and critical deterioration in his health, particularly after he stopped taking food supplements or undergoing physical checkups. They fear he could die at any moment.
M.K.
