Palestinian Prisoner Released after Months of Hunger Strike

December 6, 2021

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” authorities have freed a prominent Palestinian prisoner, two weeks after reaching a release deal that ended his marathon 131-day hunger strike, a prisoner rights group has said.

Kayed Fasfous, 32, had remained in an “Israeli” hospital since ending his strike on November 23.

He was the symbolic figurehead of six hunger strikers protesting the “Israeli” entity’s controversial policy of “administrative detention”, which allows suspects to be held indefinitely without charge.

The entity has said the policy is necessary to keep dangerous suspects locked away without disclosing sensitive information that could expose valuable sources.

Palestinians and rights groups said the practice denies the right of due process, allowing the entity to hold prisoners for months or even years without seeing the evidence against them. The law is rarely applied to “Israelis”.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club, a group representing former and current prisoners, confirmed Fasfous had returned home to the occupied West Bank through a military checkpoint near the southern city of al-Khalil on Sunday afternoon.

Later, online footage showed the former prisoner in a wheelchair celebrating his return to his southern hometown of Dura.

Fasfous served five years in Israeli prisons without charge or trial, and lost about 45kg [99 pounds] of weight during his hunger strike, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

The plight of the six hunger strikers ignited solidarity demonstrations across the “Israeli”-occupied West Bank and Gaza in November mounting pressure on the “Israeli” entity to release the detainees.

At least four of the five other hunger strikers have since ended their protests after reaching similar deals with “Israeli” authorities. They are expected to be released in the coming months.

Hunger strikes have been common among Palestinian prisoners and have helped secure numerous concessions from “Israeli” authorities.

The nature of these strikes have varied from individuals protesting detention without charge to groups calling for improved cell conditions. Around 500 of the 4,600 Palestinians detained by the “Israeli” entity are held in “administrative detention” according to Addameer, a Palestinian prisoner rights group.

December 5, 2021

Palestinian prisoner Kayed Fasfous was released from Israeli prisons. (Photo: via WAFA)

Palestinian political prisoner Kayed Fasfous was released on Sunday after he concluded 131 days of hunger strike last month, in protest of his detention without charge or trial, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

On November 23, Fasfous ended his hunger strike after an agreement was reached to end his administrative detention in Israel and release him this month.

Fasfous was freed at an Israeli checkpoint to the south of Hebron (Al-Khalil) in the occupied West Bank and was welcomed by Palestinian political and security officials as well as representatives of factions, according to WAFA.

He has served a total of five years in Israeli prisons without charge or trial, and reportedly lost about 45 kg of weight during his hunger strike.

There are over 4,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, about 500 of whom are serving administrative detention orders, without charge or trial.

(WAFA, PC, Social Media)

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