Hunger-Striking Administrative Detainee Bilal Kayed Threatened with Forced Treatment

At Barzilai medical center today (08 August 2016), hunger striking administrative detainee Bilal Kayed informed Addameer attorney Farah Bayadsi that the director of Ashkelon prison visited him on Saturday, 6 August 2016, and held him responsible for the mass hunger strikes taking place in the prisons. This was stated in the context of over 100 Palestinian prisoners and detainees having joined mass hunger strikes throughout Israeli prisons and detention centers in solidarity with the hunger striking administrative detainee.

On his 55^th day on hunger strike, Bilal is still shackled to his bed with his right hand and left foot. He is suffering from pain in the chest pain, kidney, jaw, eyes, ears, legs, as well as severe headache. He also suffers from blurred vision, numbness throughout the body, hair loss, as well as yellowness and peeling of the skin.

Bilal also reported to Addameer’s attorney that the doctor following his case informed him that he is entering a very critical stage due to loss of fluids, and salts in the body and that he is suffering from dehydration. She also informed Bilal that in the case that he loses consciousness, he would be forcibly treated.

Addameer considers forced treatment, force-feeding and other measures of ill-treatment taken against Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons and medical centers as systematic torture and cruel, degrading and inhumane treatment, in contravention with international conventions and declarations including Malta and Tokyo Declarations.