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Palestinians to protest in solidarity with sick inmates

10 November 2013 00:27 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Palestinian inmates held at Israel’s Nafha prison, in a southern desert area, are planning to begin protests in solidarity with sick prisoners, APA reports quoting Press TV.

The Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs said in a statement on Saturday that the protests are planned to call for the release of prisoners suffering from serious illnesses.

Amer Abu Hamdiyya, the lawyer for Palestinian prisoners, met with a senior Israeli official and told him that inmates would not remain silent while sick prisoners are suffering from medical conditions in the Israeli jail.

It came only four days after a Palestinian prisoner, Hasan Turabi, died in custody from leukemia. The Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs blamed Turabi’s death on Israel's negligence.

According to the statement, Suleiman Abu Ruwais from the occupied West Bank city of Nablus went on a hunger strike in 2004. He has suffered from gastric ulcer ever since. He was only transferred to a hospital in 2008.

The statement also said that another Palestinian prisoner from Nablus, Ismail Abu Alafa, was shot by Israeli troops in 2004. He had portions of his stomach removed due to injuries, but has not been receiving appropriate treatment.

Abu Alafa needs to be transported to a hospital immediately, the statement added.

Omar Abu Saada also suffers from tumors in his throat and needs surgery, it added.

More than 4,500 Palestinian prisoners are held in Israeli prisons, many of them without charge or trial.

Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been subject to human rights violations such as the use of torture during interrogations by prison authorities.