Occupied Ramallah, 2 May 2013 - Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association’s lawyer was able to visit hunger striking detainee Ayman Abu Daoud yesterday, 1 May 2013, in Megiddo Prison. Ayman is 32 years old, from Hebron and was re-arrested on 13 February 2012.
According to Addameer’s lawyer, Abu Daoud started an open hunger strike on 14 April 2013, to reject his re-arrest and detention after his release in the last prisoner exchange on 18 October 2011. He was given amnesty after serving 7 years of a 36 year sentence. The Occupation’s prosecution is now seeking to have him serve the remaining 29 years of his previous sentence as prescribed in Article 186 of Military Order 165, under the pretext of violating the terms of his release in a prisoner exchange deal.
The Military Prosecution also presented a charge list for Abu Daoud that accuses him of violating the terms of his release in the prisoner exchange deal, as well as providing financial aid to certain groups.
According to a deal he signed prior to his release, Abu Daoud was forbidden from leaving the Hebron region for 3 years and was required to present himself to the DCO (District Coordination Office) every 2 months. Abu Daoud abided by this deal.
The lawyer informed Addameer than the detainee Abu Daoud has lost 10 kg since he has announced his hunger strike, and now only weighs 74 kg.
Abu Daoud is being held in Al-Jalameh Prison in Section 3, which includes approximately 10 small rooms for civilian prisoners. Ayman‘s room is completely isolated, along with one other room, both of which are divided from the rest of the rooms by way of an iron door. The other isolation room is used to punish civilian prisoners. The room measures 2X2 meters, and includes a concrete bed with a mattress that is a mere 5 cm thick. They gave him 3 extremely dirty blankets. The room has a shower and a hole for Abu Daoud to relieve himself. There is no window. Rather, there is only a 20X20 cm opening in the door, through which neither sun nor air can enter the cell. There is no air conditioning and the cell is lit 24 hours a day by an electric light.
Abu Daoud is currently the only Palestinian prisoner who is on hunger strike, however today 30 Jordanian prisoners in Israeli jails also announced hunger strikes to demand their release.
Addameer expresses deep concern for the life of Ayman Abu Daoud as well as the lives of the hunger striking Jordanian prisoners and places full responsibility on the Occupation for their lives.
Addameer also renews its call to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon and all international organizations to intervene immediately for the release of the prisoners on hunger strike.
Read about Ayman Abu Daoud’s case here: http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=600