RAMALLAH, April 18, 2017 (WAFA) – A request by attorney Jawad Boulus, head of the legal department of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS), to visit Marwan Barghouti in his prison cell was Tuesday denied, according to a statement by the PPS.

Barghouti is leading an estimated 1500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in a hunger strike that was launched on Monday demanding better prison conditions and treatment.

The PPS said the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) informed Boulus that neither he nor any other lawyer will be allowed to visit Barghouti following a decision not to allow visitation to striking prisoners.

It said Boulus put a request with the IPS on Monday night to visit Barghouti and another prisoner, Nasser Ewais, after they were moved from Hadarim prison to Jalameh detention center.

Boulus was informed that he can visit Barghouti only if the latter is going to appear in court or has a hearing.

The IPS informed the Red Cross that all family visits to the prisons have been cancelled as a result of the hunger strike and lawyers were informed that visits to striking prisoners in Gilboa will not be allowed.

M.K.