RAMALLAH, January 23, 2016 (WAFA) – Palestinian journalist incarcerated in Israeli jails has been on an open-ended hunger strike for 60 consecutive days in protest of his administrative detention without charge or trial, Saturday said the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

Muhammad al-Qiq, 33, a journalist, started an open-ended hunger strike on November 25, 2015. Since then, al-Qiq has been refusing to take nutritional supplements and undergo medical checkups in protest of his ongoing administrative detention.

Upon his detention on November 21, al-Qiq was moved to al-Jalama detention and interrogation center. On December 20, he was placed under administrative detention for six months before being placed in solitary confinement in al-Ramla detention center’s clinic.

On December 30, Israeli authorities approved al-Qiq’s administrative detention and following the deterioration of his health condition, he was moved to al-Affula hospital.

On January 16, 2016, the Israeli military court of Ofer rejected an appeal to release al-Qiq and ordered that he continue to be placed under administrative detention regardless of his health deterioration.

Israeli Supreme Court has initially scheduled a hearing on February 25 before rescheduling it to January 27 following a request submitted by PPS.

PPS highlighted that the health condition of al-Qiq has become severally critical as he continues to refuse to take any nutritional supplements and to undergo medical checkups. He was placed into intensive care unit after he temporarily fell unconscious.

PPS attorney Jawad Bolous visited al-Qiq on January 21. He was reported as confirming that al-Qiq suffers from overall weakness, blurred vision and numbness in his right hand.

Meanwhile, al-Qiq’s wife, Fayha Shalash called on supporters to step up rallies in support of her husband in order to secure his release.

She also called for the formation of an impartial non-Israeli medical committee to be tasked with examining al-Qiq.

To be noted, al-Qiq is the first Palestinian hunger striker to be force-fed by Israeli authorities since the enactment of the force-feeding law by the Israeli Knesset in July 2015.

In July 2015, Israel‘s parliament enacted the force-feeding law of prisoners on hunger strike, a move that was met by vehement opposition from the country‘s medical association.

K.F./.T.R.