Demand the Immediate Release of Khader Adnan

How We Won

Feb 22, 2012

It's official! Khader Adnan has reached an agreement with Israeli authorities and ended his hunger strike on day 66. 

Mr. Adnan, a 33 year old baker, was taken from his home in front of his family and pregnant wife on December 18, 2011. On the rare occasion that his family was allowed to see him, he described being subjected to humiliating interrogation tactics, beatings, parts of his beard was torn out and he was not allowed to bathe. Once so weak he needed hospitalization, he was shackled to his bed and handcuffed on trips to the bathroom.

While the major networks waited over a month to begin reporting on his plight, grassroots pressure steadily grew and both the press and elected officials were forced to take notice and act.

As of February 21, 2012, still without charge or a trial, Mr. Adnan has been offered a deal to stop his hunger strike in exchange for being released on April 17th as well as having his record cleared. It should be noted that Israel has tacitly acknowledged that it has no evidence against Mr. Adnan by agreeing to his release without charge. His bravery & tenacity highlight the need for stronger international scrutiny of Israel's interrogation and "administrative detention" policies. It also sheds lights on the hundreds of other administrative detainees currently languishing indefinitely in Israeli prisons without charge or trial.

Khader Adnan, 33, is now on the 65th day of his hunger strike and he has entered the fatal high-risk stage of starvation, where he is risking cardiac arrest and the inevitable shutting-down of major organs. Bobby Sands died on the 66th day of his hunger strike.

Mr. Adnan is currently being held in Zeif Hospital in Safed, Israel. Moving him via ambulance could endanger his life. So an Israeli court will hold an appeal session at the hospital.

The graduate student has been held without charge or trial since his detention on Dec. 17, and subjected to weeks of interrogation sessions and humiliation, his hands tied behind his back on a chair with a crooked back, causing extreme pain to his back. Adnan’s pregnant wife and two daughters visited him Feb. 7. She said his physical condition is horrifying, his clothes haven’t been changed, he hasn’t showered since his arrest, and his teeth and face are blotched.

(For more information see http://english.al-akhbar.com.)

Visit the Web site of Addameer (Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association) http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=428 or read below. 

Have you heard about Israel’s horrible treatment of this prisoner or Israel’s routine use of arbitrary administrative detention in your newspaper or TV news? Why not?

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