Sami Janazrah resumes hunger strike

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On Wednesday, 18 May, Palestinian lawyer Jawad Boulos announced that Palestinian prisoner Sami Janazrah had resumed his hunger strike after a one-week partial strike (consuming liquids only). Janazrah engaged in a hunger strike for 70 days and suspended the strike on Wednesday, 11 May, during the one-week period directed by the Israeli Supreme Court to resume the investigation of Janazrah’s case.

Janazrah, 43, a Palestinian refugee from Al-Fuwwar refugee camp near al-Khalil, has been on strike in protest of his administrative detention, Israeli imprisonment without charge or trial. He has been imprisoned since 15 November 2015, and his detention extended shortly after he began his strike on 3 March 2016. The Israeli military prosecution today requested an additional seven days to complete the claimed “investigation into new evidence” in his case. As Janazrah is held without charge or trial on the basis of secret evidence, he has no means of challenging any evidence alleged against him, or even knowing the content of such material.

“We’ve tried to fight the occupation in every way possible. It is our legal right to fight against this occupation,” Janazrah’s brother Mahmoud told Al-Jazeera. “Sami is only fighting this occupation to try to get our rights back. He is like any other Palestinian who refuses the occupation.”

Janazrah resumed his hunger strike – as he had stated he would do when suspending it one week prior, as his administrative detention order remains in place.  He is one of 750 Palestinians held under administrative detention, a practice widely condemned internationally.

Also on hunger strike are Adib Mafarjah and Fouad Assi, two more Palestinians held under administrative detention without charge or trial. On their 46th day of hunger strike, both are held in Barzilai hospital as they continue to refuse food and demand their freedom.