Diabetic Palestinian political prisoner Akram Rikhawi has been on a hunger strike for 83 days and is at imminent risk of dying.
According to the World Medical Association, in most cases
death occurs between 42nd and 72nd days of hunger strike. Rikhawi
suffers from various chronic conditions: diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis,
kidney problems, and deterioration of his eye lenses, high cholesterol,
and immune deficiency. Due to these pre-existing conditions Rikhawi's
hunger strike has weakened his body, and already a month ago he was in
very fragile condition. Now he is in a coma and his condition is
deteriorating fast.
Akram Rikhawi went on hunger strike on 12 April as a
protest when he was not granted an early release on the basis of his
medical condition and social circumstances. (He has got 8 biological and
5 adoptive children.) He has requested for early release twice: in
2010, and on 5 June 2012. Every prisoner is entitled to ask to be
considered for early release when at least two thirds of their sentence
has been served. In all discussions, these factors were disregarded and a
file with 'secret information' was the only material considered.
Rikhawi from Gaza was arrested by Israeli occupation forces
in 2004 and sentenced to 9 years’ imprisonment by a military court.
Israeli military courts have almost 100% conviction rate: 99.74% of
those who are charged are convicted (Israeli Military Court report
2010).
During his hunger strike Rikhawi has only seen an
independent doctor once, on 6 June. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
(PHR-I) has made numerous requests to gain access to Rikhawi, but the
Israeli authorities continually denied their requests.
Following the visit on 6 June, the PHR-I doctor reported
that Rikhawi's weight had decreased from 68 kilos to 50 kilos, which is a
total loss of 26.5%. The doctor further determined that a combination
of inflammation of prior chronic illnesses and the complications of
hunger strike rendered hospitalization immediately necessary, as he was
at immediate risk of death. The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) medical
centre is not a hospital, and it is not properly equipped to handle the
physical deterioration and effects of long-term hunger strike.
Rikhawi has been held in the IPS medical unit in Ramleh
ever since his initial arrest. On 14 June 2012 the Israeli District
Court rejected a PHR-I appeal to transfer him to a civilian hospital
despite his critical condition. The decision was based on a medical
opinion of the IPS, which denies that his life is in danger. According
to the PHR-I, 'this opinion is in complete contradiction to the one of
the independent doctor, and is not referring to any medical data on
which it is based. It also does not relate to the opinion of the
independent doctor and the risks it cites.' Last week Rikhawi was
briefly hospitalized to a civilian hospital several times, but returned
to Ramleh prison clinic. This moving back and forth a patient in such a
critical condition could also amount to a medical neglect. Rikhawi has
also been shackled to his hospital bed with three limbs.
On Tuesday 19 June, Addameer lawyer, Ms. Neddaf, noted
following her visit to Ramleh prison medical clinic that Rikhawi was
extremely tired, weak and weighed only 49 kilos. Furthermore, since 16
June, he has been refusing any vitamins and fluids through an IV. (The
IPS doctors' threats to force-feed and force-treat him, in addition to
their determination not to recommend his medical condition as worthy of
earlier release from prison, has led Rikhawi to regard them with deep
distrust.) Though he is sustaining himself on water alone, Ms. Neddaf
was troubled to observe that even drinking water was very difficult for
him and he was only able to consume approximately one litre per day.
There are currently other hunger strikers in Israeli
prisons that also need your attention, but Akram Rikhawi's situation is
the most critical right now.
I urge you to take the following actions without further delay:
1. Demand
that Israel moves Akram to a civilian hospital and to allow independent
doctors to visit him frequently and without impediments, and lift the
ban on family visits.
2. Demand that a fair and objective review of Rikhawi's request to shorten his imprisonment period.
3. To
actively put pressure on Israel to end the arbitrary use of
administrative detention, and condemn the punitive measures used to
quell the efforts of the hunger strikers, who are engaged in legitimate
protest.
4. Call
for a fact finding mission to be organised by the European parliament to
examine Israel’s treatment to Palestinian political prisoners and
specifically hunger strikers.
To send the above letter to MEP's, please click on "Take Action"
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