LONDON, February 25, 2016 (WAFA) - The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) Thursday called on Israel to immediately release hunger-striking Palestinian journalist, Mohammad al-Qiq.
Al-Qiq has been on hunger-strike for 93 days in protest at his detention without charge by the Israel authorities and at the torture and cruel and inhuman treatment to which he was subjected.
The administrative detention order against him has been suspended on health grounds, but the Israeli authorities have refused to allow him to be transferred to a hospital in the West Bank. He is now close to death, reportedly handcuffed to his hospital bed. His wife and children have been denied permits to visit him.
Al-Qiq was detained by Israeli forces from his home in the West Bank on 21 November 2015 and detained under Israel‘s administrative detention laws, which permit the arrest and detention of Palestinians, on secret evidence, for periods of up to six months, renewable indefinitely.
Al-Qiq was forcibly transferred out of occupied Palestinian territory into Israel and has been detained there since, in breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
BHRC called on Israel in a press release to “return Al-Qiq to the occupied West Bank immediately and to either release him or charge him with an internationally recognisable criminal offence and try him in proceedings adhering to international fair trial standards.”
BHRC joined the United Nations in calling on Israel to either charge or release all administrative detainees held without charge or trial.
“Israel must also conduct independent investigations into Al-Qiq’s complaints of torture and ill-treatment and, if sufficient evidence is found, prosecute those responsible,” said the international human rights group.
It also demanded Israel to “refrain from any further forced treatment of Al-Qiq, against his will – having already twice reportedly forced such treatment on him, in violation of international law.”
BHRC also called on the international community to “hold Israel to account for its continuing and repeated violation of international humanitarian and criminal law in transferring members of the protected Palestinian population outside of the occupied territory.”
It also called for an urgent international investigation into the continued allegations of the use of torture and ill-treatment by the Israeli authorities against Palestinian detainees in order to compel confessions.
BHRC is the international human rights arm of the Bar of England and Wales, working to protect the rights of advocates, judges and human rights defenders around the world. The BHRC is concerned with defending the rule of law and internationally recognised legal standards relating to human rights and the right to a fair trial. It is independent of the Bar Council.
K.F.
