A group of activists participated today, Friday, in a stand in solidarity with the sick prisoners and the Prisoner National Movement in the Israeli occupation prisons, in light of the policy of medical neglect by the occupation.
The vigil came at the invitation of the “Activists for Prisoners” Group, in support of the prisoners, Walid Daqqa, who suffered a health setback, Khader Adnan, who has been on hunger strike for more than 55 days, and Khalil Awadeh, who is at risk of physical paralysis.
The participants in the vigil raised pictures of the prisoners, and banners calling for the need to release the prisoners and transfer them to treatment, as some of the banners wrote: “Save Walid Daqqa”, “Save Khader Adnan”, and “Save Khalil Awadeh”.
The participants in the vigil raised pictures of a number of sick prisoners, and banners accusing Israel of deliberate negligence in providing them with treatment.
There are 967 administrative detainees (without trial) in the Israeli occupation prisons, out of about 4,765 Palestinian prisoners, including 170 children, and 29 female prisoners, according to data from the Palestinian Prisoners Club and associations concerned with prisoners’ affairs.
The vigil coincides with the warning of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs of the serious health condition of the prisoner, Walid Daqqa, who has been detained for 38 years, and who was recently transferred to Barzilai Hospital after suffering a new setback, and entered the stage of “real danger.”
The Palestinian Prisoners Club also warned of a serious deterioration in the health status of the prisoner, Khader Adnan, who is languishing in the so-called “Ramle Prison Clinic”, after he refused to undergo medical examinations and treatment when the occupation transferred him to the hospital.
The wife of prisoner Adnan, Randa Musa, said, “My husband has been on hunger strike for more than 55 days, as he is inside Ramla prison, in very difficult detention conditions.”
She explained that “he fainted several times during a court session that took place yesterday (Thursday),” and stressed that he is currently in “solitary isolation.”
She added, “The Israeli authorities refuse to transfer the sheikh to the hospital except in the case of conducting medical examinations inside the prison, and he refuses to do so, because when he announced that he would fight the battle of empty stomachs until freedom.”
She explained that “the occupation is bargaining with him to transfer him to the hospital, and he refuses to do so,” and said that the occupation is messing around about the prisoner’s condition, stressing that “death or life are the same for us, so he refuses to conduct examinations except with freedom.”
“We stand behind him in all his decisions,” she said.
The wife of the prisoner, Khader Adnan, concluded by saying, “Our people inside the Palestinian territories, despite all the difficult circumstances and persecution they are going through, are organizing solidarity stands with the prisoners, and this is truly heartwarming.”
In turn, the political activist Qadri Abu Wasel said, “We stand here alongside and with all the prisoners, especially the prisoners who suffer from the policy of slow death, including Walid Daqqa, Khader Adnan and Wadih Awawda.”
Regarding the conditions of the prisoner Walid Daqqa, he explained, “The prisoner Walid Daqqa suffers in the ‘Barzilai’ hospital from the policy of slow death, as he has been in the occupation prisons for more than 38 years and was supposed to be freed, but the occupation added two years to his rule.”
He concluded, “Here is the duty of the Arab nation towards these prisoners, especially the Palestinian people, as it is inconceivable for prisoners to spend more than half their lives in prisons, and some of them are detained without judgment, so it is our duty to stand by the prisoners and work until they are freed.”
