Mandela’s lawyer Buthaina Duqmaq affirmed Israeli prison authorities effected a series of transfers between Galbou’ and Shatta prisons. Duqmaq was made to wait for two and a half hours at the prison gate until she could meet with Yasser Abu-Bakr for five minutes. The administration claimed they were in the middle of moving inmates between the two prisons.

Abu-Bakr affirmed the administration transferred 50 infirm prisoners from Galbou’ to Shatta and 90 inmates, on hunger strike, from Shatta to Galbou’. He explained the administration carried out several transfers within the same prison to create a sense of instability among the prisoners.

Advocate Duqmaq noticed clear signs of fatigue and loss of weight upon Abu-Bakr who asserted high spirits prevail among the prisoners despite threatening health conditions of infirm prisoners that are on hunger strike. Inmates at Galbou’ have decided to boycott the prison’s clinic because of its relentless efforts to force the prisoners into breaking the strike. Medical officials have withheld medical care for striking inmates.

Abu-Bakr called upon legal and international NGOs to intervene rapidly in order to save the lives of
Palestinian political prisoners.

On the other hand and during communications to organize a visit to Ovik Prison, the Mandela Institute learned that Houssam Khader, Samir Qanttar and Walid Daqqa, who were held in isolation, were transferred to the interrogation section at Jalama Prison. Mandela’s sources asserted this arbitrary measure is part of the systematic policy of the Israeli Prison Authority to isolate the leaders and higher cadres in the prison in order to break the prisoners’ hunger strike.

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BY TOPIC: Hunger Strike

Mandela Institute for Human Rights