Adalah has filed a petition with the Israeli Supreme Court urging the release of hunger striking detainee Muhammed Allan today, as a Ha’aretz editorial urged his release: “Israel must announce the immediate release of Mohammed Allaan, the Palestinian hunger-striker who is being held in Israel without trial and whose condition deteriorated drastically over the weekend. The state did the right thing last month when it released Khader Adnan, whose life was at risk after a 54-day hunger strike, and it must do the same this time. Any delay could lead to a new cycle of bloodshed, the scope and consequences of which are difficult to predict.”
Adalah petitions Israeli Supreme Court for release of hunger-striking Palestinian detainee Mohammed Allan; Supreme Court hearing today at 1 pm
Adalah, together with private attorney Jamil el-Khatib, submitted an urgent petition to the Israeli Supreme Court today, 17 August 2015, demanding that the General Security Service (GSS or Shabak) and the Military Commander of the occupied West Bank rescind the administrative detention order against Mohammed Allan, and that Allan be released. Allan, a Palestinian lawyer, has been on hunger strike for more than two months in protest against his administrative detention without charge or trial, which began in November 2014.
This petition will join another appeal in this regard by the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs. The Supreme Court will hold a hearing today on both cases at 1 pm.
In the petition, Adalah and el-Khatib argued that, “The deterioration of the health status of a prisoner on hunger strike drastically changes the objective conditions of his administrative detention, and makes it imperative for the authorities to reconsider the detention order.” The petitioners stressed that the drastic deterioration in Mohammed Allan’s health situation, since he became unconscious on Friday 14 August 2015, eliminates the security concerns that allegedly justify his administrative detention.
Adalah Attorneys Sawsan Zaher and Aram Mahameed emphasized in the petition on behalf of Allan that Supreme Court case law required that the authorities reconsider an administrative detention in the event of any new substantive change in conditions, and oblige them to take action regarding the new realities before them.
Adalah also contended that administrative detention is supposed to be used rarely and as a preventive measure in order to “prevent immediate danger”. However, the Israeli security authorities use it sweepingly as a punitive measure against Palestinians (more than 400 Palestinians are currently held in administrative detention).
The severe deterioration of Allan’s health, his entry into a coma, and his inability to move, presents an immediate danger to his life and safety. His continued administrative detention will ultimately lead to serious bodily harm, and constitutes an immediate danger to his life.
Case Citation: HCJ 5580/15, Mohammed Allan v. General Security Service, et al. (case pending)
See also:
Adalah News Update, Adalah demands that Barzilai Hospital refrain from force-feeding Palestinian detainee Mohammed Allan, 16 August 2015
The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council, the Arab Association for Human Rights, Adalah and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Call for Urgent Action: Palestinian Administrative Detainee on Hunger Strike in Critical Condition, 13 August 2015
Joint Press Release Adalah and Al Mezan, Israel enacted “Force-Feeding Law” to break the will of Palestinian detainees on hunger strike against inhumane conditions, 31 July 2015
