RAMALLAH, June 29, 2015 (WAFA) –
Hunger striking prisoner in Israeli jails Khader Adnan has reached a deal with Israel
to end his hunger strike for about 55 days, in return for his release on July 12,
according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Club (PPC).
Under the deal, which was signed
in the early morning hours on Monday, Adnan will be released on July 12,
according to members of the Israeli Knesset who mediated the negotiations between
him and the Israeli military prosecutor late Sunday night.
Earlier on Sunday, member of
Knesset Jamal Zahalka told reporters that Adnan will end his strike and receive
medical treatment once the deal is signed.
Jawad Boulos, legal counsel for
the PPC said that as part of the deal, the Israeli authorities also pledged not
to detain him again under administrative detention – without indictment or
trial, adding that his family has been informed.
Adnan is a member of the Islamic
Jihad movement and is considered one of its active members. He was also the
media spokesman of the Islamic Jihad in the West Bank, which made him a
frequent target by the Israeli occupation forces.
He was detained about 10 times
since 1997 when he was still in university. In 1999, he was detained for four
months without charges being filed against him. In 2000 he was arrested again
to be only released in 2001. In 2002, Adnan was detained again by Israel for 12
months, also without any charges filed against him. After one year he was
detained for 11 months, during which he went on a hunger strike for 28 days.
In 2005, Israel detained Adnan
and was only released after 16 months. He became mostly known for his 66-day
hunger strike in 2013, which was the first and then longest hunger strike in
Israeli prisons. Even after his release, Adnan went on another hunger strike
for 12 days in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli
jails.
In July 2014, Adnan was
detained again, where he was issued an administrative detention for six months
that was renewed again in February 2015. He went on a one-week warning hunger
strike, which was met with another renewal in May 2015, leading to his current
hunger strike.
Under administrative detention rule,
Israel imprisons Palestinians without charge or trial and on the basis of
secret evidence for up to six month periods, renewable by Israeli military
courts.
The use of administrative
detention dates back to the “emergency laws” of the British colonial era in
Palestine.
M.N/T.R/M.H
