The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society has reported that Muhammad Allan, Palestinian lawyer who has been on hunger strike for over 2 months, is now again sedated in a coma in Barzilai hospital and is breathing with a respirator. Physicians at the hospital have stated that they expect this to continue for 48 hours.

Allan, 31, ended his hunger strike last night, 19 August, after an Israeli Supreme Court decision that ordered the suspension of the administrative detention order against him, which has kept him imprisoned without charge or trial since November 2014.

The Supreme Court decision is an attempt by the Israeli state to provide an exit from the crisis in the administrative detention system brought about by Allan’s monumental hunger strike, in which he refused all forms of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and salts, and consumed only water. Allan was threatened with the implementation of the new force-feeding law; force-feeding is cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment amounting to torture and moved to two hospitals seeking doctors willing to impose it. Last Friday, 14 August, Allan fell into a coma and was placed on a ventilator. He awoke from the coma on 18 August and immediately pledged to continue his hunger strike.

Yesterday, an MRI scan on Allan showed he suffered permanent brain damage after the strike and coma. He is suffering from severe vitamin deficiencies and is again in a medical crisis. He is now receiving vitamins intravenously.

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network salutes Muhammad Allan and his struggle and demands his immediate and unconditional release, not the suspension of his detention. Through his hunger and his steadfastness, he has landed a severe blow to the systemic policy of administrative detention used by the Zionist state to isolate and arbitrarily imprison Palestinian activists and community leaders, and to target the entire Palestinian people. We emphasize that Israel remains fully responsible for the life and health of Muhammad Allan. We urge ongoing vigilance and action on the case of Muhammad Allan in order to defend him from all attempts to reimpose his detention and imprisonment, and wish a speedy recovery to this great struggler for the cause of justice for Palestine and Palestinian prisoners.