IPS: We won't end prisoner's hunger strike

Prison Ethics Committee decided against force-feeding Palestinian prisoner Hana Shalabi, who has been on hunger strike for 28 days

Raanan Ben-Zur|Published: 03.14.12 , 22:13

The Israel Prison Service's Medical Ethics Committee decided on Wednesday not to intervene in the case of Hana Shalabi, a Palestinian prisoner who has been on a hunger strike for 28 days, in protest of her administrative arrest.

The decision came despite a medical opinion issued by the Physicians for Human Rights organization, which stated that Shalabi's medical condition was deteriorating.

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Shalabi, 28, from the village of Burkin near Jenin was released in October 2011 as part of the Shalit prison exchange deal, but was detained again on February 16 and has been held at HaSharon Prison since.

Immediately after her arrest, Shalabi went on a hunger strike, claiming that she underwent a violent and a humiliating search. She also claimed that as an administrative detainee, Israel could extend her remand without limitations, even without filing an indictment against her.

On Wednesday, the IPS Ethics Committee convened in order to discuss Shalabi's case. The committee members, including a Muslim cleric, met with Shalabi in prison. After deliberation, the committee decided not to interfere in the hunger strike and not to issue instructions to force feed her.

Shalabi has refused to be examined by IPS personnel and asked to only be examined by doctors from Physicians for Human Rights.

The humanitarian organization stated that according to the Israeli and World Medical Associations, force-feeding hunger strikers is considered an inhumane and humiliating act. Furthermore, according to the 1975 Declaration of Tokyo, doctors must respect the will of hunger strikers and are prohibited from taking part in the act of force-feeding.

Recently, a similar case was reported when administrative detainee Khader Adnan went on a 66-day hunger strike. Adnan ended his strike after it was decided not to extend his remand.