Ref: 19/2008
Date: 03 March 2008
Time: 12:30 GMT
As There Are Indications of Medical
Negligence, PCHR Callas for Investigation into the Death of a Palestinian
Prisoner in an Israeli Jail
PCHR is deeply concerned over the death of Fadel ‘Ouda ‘Atiya
Shaheen, 47, from al-Jalaa’ neighborhood in Gaza City, who had been detained by
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in Be’r al-Saba’ Prison, as there are
indications that his health condition deteriorated and the administration of the
prison failed to offer him appropriate medical treatment.
Shaheen died in Be’r al-Saba’ Prison on 29 February 2008. PCHR
has learnt at the time of writing this press release that his body is being
brought into the Gaza Strip through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing after an autopsy
was performed in the body in an Israeli forensic medicine institute. His family
is expected to receive his body in the upcoming few hours. Shaheen was arrested
by IOF troops positioned at the then Abu Houli checkpoint in the central Gaza
Strip on 15 October 2004. A bill of indictment was presented against him on 16
November 2004, and he was sentenced to 8.5 years of imprisonment.
Shaheen’s brother told a PCHR lawyer on 16 October 2004, when he
authorized PCHR to pursue the case, that Shaheen was suffering from diabetes and
was regularly injected by insulin in order for his health condition to be
stable. A lawyer delegated by PCHR, who visited Shaheen in the prison,
repeatedly indicated that Shaheen was suffering from acute diabetes.
According to information available to PCHR, Shaheen’s health
condition recently deteriorated as he suffered from a blockage of arteries and
hypertension in addition to chronic diabetes. These facts raise suspicions about
the causes of his death as PCHR has repeated received information about medical
negligence and the failure of Israeli prison authority to provide Palestinian
prisoners in Israeli jails with appropriate medical care.
Shaheen has been the 2nd Palestinian prisoner to die
in Israeli jails in les than 2 months. In 2007, 5 Palestinian prisoners died in
Israeli jails; 4 of them died because of medical negligence whereas the 5th
one was shot dead by IOF troops that stormed the Negev Prison.
PCHR calls upon the international community and concerned
international bodies to immediately intervene to end the suffering of
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, as detention condition in Israeli jails
are inhuman and violate the international humanitarian law and Standard Minimum
Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
PCHR reminds the international community is one of at least
11,000 Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails and detention centers,
including 720 ones form the Gaza Strip whom IOF continue to detain in violation
of international law, as these prisoners must have been released when the IOF
commander in the Gaza Strip issued a statement ending the Israeli military
government in the Gaza Strip.
In light of Shaheen’s death and Israel’s insistence to continue
to detain Palestinian prisoners and efforts to enact new laws and amend existing
ones to be able to continue to have the authority to interrogate and prosecute
Palestinians from the Gaza Strip:
1.
PCHR calls upon the international
community to form an impartial commission of inquiry immediately so as to
determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Shaheen and to declare the
results of investigation.
2.
PCHR calls fro forcing IOF to
commit to Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and improved
detention conditions of Palestinian prisoners.
3.
PCHR calls upon concerned
international bodies to intervene to ensure providing appropriate medical care
to hundreds of Palestinian prisoners who suffer from diseases and whose life are
threatened because of medical negligence.
