Press release from the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme:
…The Palestinian prisoner, Jamal Hassan Al-Sarahin, 36 years old, died yesterday, in the Negev Detention Center resulting from serious deterioration in his health condition. Al-Sarahin is from Biet Ola, a village of Hebron, who was “administratively detained” by Israeli army eight months ago. Commenting on this tragic incident, the Ministry of Prisoners and Ex-detainees reported that the death of Al-Sarahin was due to Israeli Prison Authority’s deliberate medical carelessness as he was suffering from several diseases including; blood problems and inflammation in his respiratory system, long before his death. The Ministry added that the prison administration refused to transfer him to the hospital; instead, the administration offered him simple medical interventions and painkillers, which led to more deterioration in his health condition causing death.
According to the Ministry of Prisoners, the death of Al-Sarahin sheds light to the file of medical negligence committed by Israeli Prison Authorities. More than 1000 Palestinian prisoners, 28 of whom are fighting death, are suffering from medical negligence.
More than 11,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons are currently living in appalling and inhuman conditions. They have been subjected to cruel and degrading treatment. Reports from the Ministry of Prisoners indicate that prisoners are exposed to several humiliating practices by the Israeli Authorities. Such practices include; indiscriminate beating and firing of tear gas, frequent invasive strip-searching, delaying or withholding medical treatment, arbitrary revocation of visitation rights including denying relatives travel permits, and providing inappropriate quality and quantity of diet. All of such measures and others are blatant violations of international law and the basic principles for the treatment of prisoners….