Palestinian detainees demand an end to medical neglect and collective punishment

Sunday July 01, 2007 22:31 by IMEMC

Palestinian detainees imprisoned by Israel in dozens of detention facilities and camps demanded the international community and human rights groups to intervene in order to force the Israeli authorities to provide the sick detainees with the needed medical attention and treatment.

Archive Photo- Soldiers kidnapping a Palestinian child

The appeal of the detainees came through the Popular Committees. The detainees stated that dozens of detainees are in immediate need for surgeries, and immediate medical treatment while the Israeli Prison Authorities are neglecting their rights.

The Popular Committees stated that several detainees are now in life-threatening conditions as they are deprived from the needed medical treatment and that their conditions continuously deteriorating.

Azmi Shiokhy, secretary-general of the Committees, stated that the Israeli Prison Administration is deliberately barring the detainees from the needed medical attention and treatment, and considered this policy as another form of illegal collective punishment which violates the international law and the basic principles of human rights.

He appealed the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Ministry of Detainees, to contact human rights and law groups in addition to International Red Cross in order to act immediately and provide the detainees with the needed care.

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