Palestinian Detainee On Hunger Strike, Moved To Prison Hospital

Saturday July 16, 2011 08:49 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) reported Friday that detainee Yousef Skafi, who has been on hunger strike since 34 days, was moved to Al Ramla prison hospital; he is currently in a serious condition. He went on strike after the death of his daughter who suffered nervous breakdown after being prevented from visiting him.

File - Image by Palestinian Prisoners Society

Skafi went on hunger strike after the death of his daughter, Abeer, who came to visit him with her mother, but the Israeli soldiers kept her waiting under the sun for an extended period, and eventually prevented her from visiting him.

After being forced back home without being allowed to visit her detained father, Abeer suffered a nervous breakdown that developed to paralysis before she passed away.

Skafi is suffering from kidney issues, while his health condition is gradually deteriorating; he currently cannot stand or walk and is constantly dizzy.

He needs urgent specialized medical attention that cannot be found at the prison hospital that lacks the basic medical equipment and medications.

Ailing detainees at the Al Ramla Prison Hospital are confined to their beds while shackled despite the fact that they suffer from chronic diseases, serious illnesses such as cancer, and some of them are paralyzed while others had open-heart surgeries.

Detainee Ala’ Hassouna, kidnapped by the army on October 18 2004, and sentenced to eight years, underwent an open-heart surgery in 2006, yet, he is still chained to his bed at the prison hospital while.

In addition, detainee Zayed Shamasna, who was kidnapped on June 7 2011, is chained to his hospital bed despite the fact that he is paralyzed, cannot feel or move his lower body.

There are 201 detainees, who died in Israeli prisons and interrogation facilities due to medical negligence, extreme torture during interrogation, or after being shot dead after the army kidnapped them. Some of them were shot and killed, by the soldiers, inside a number of prison compounds.

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