Amnesty urges Israel to release hunger striking Palestinian

Amnesty International has urged the Israeli regime to release a hunger striking Palestinian journalist who is in critical condition.

In a public statement published on Friday, the rights organization called for Israeli authorities to immediately cease all non-consensual medical treatment and other punitive measures against Mohammed al-Qiq.

Qiq has been held without charge or trial under Israel’s so-called administrative detention since November 21, 2015. He has been on hunger strike since November 25.

The Palestinian’s health is reportedly deteriorating. He refuses everything except water in protest against the administrative detention policy.

“The Israeli authorities should release him unless he is charged with an internationally recognizable criminal offense and tried in proceedings adhering to international standards,” Amnesty said.

The UK-based rights group also demanded that the Tel Aviv regime authorities conduct an independent investigation into Israeli security forces for allegations of involvement in torturing Qiq during captivity.

A medical rights group reported on January 19 that Israeli authorities have force-treated Qiq in defiance of international law, which considers the practice a violation of human rights.

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel) called upon doctors and medics at HaEmek Hospital in Afula to stop force-treating the 33-year-old journalist. The group said Qiq had been forcefully hooked up to an infusion of salts and vitamins.

“Al-Qiq was tied to the bed and forcefully held down by prison wardens, while a member of the medical staff made the infusion. For four days, al-Qiq remained tied to the bed, hooked up to the IV (intravenous) drip, while pleading for its removal, but to no avail,” the group said.

It also stated that the actions contradict the World Medical Association's declarations on hunger strikers, including the Malta Declaration which “forbids applying pressure to end a hunger strike and forced medical treatment.”

The World Medical Association, the Red Cross, and the United Nations, consider force-feeding a cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment, and a flagrant violation of international law.

Administrative detention is an illegal scheme devised by Tel Aviv under which Palestinian inmates are kept in Israeli detention facilities without trial or charge.

The PHR-Israel has slammed Israeli authorities for the use of administrative detention, describing it as “the reason for al-Qiq’s [hunger strike] and previous hunger strikes.”

More than 7,000 Palestinians are reportedly being held in 17 Israeli prisons and detention centers.

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